Breaking Destiny's Bonds
by Kelly of the midnight dawn
Summary: What if Anakin had a sudden burst of common sense? The Emperor is out to destroy his would be apprentice and his family. Yoda tries to rebuild the Order in secret. ROTS rewrite. Please read and review.
1. Chapter 1: Truth

**Breaking Destiny's Bonds**

**Chapter 1: Truth**

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters of Star Wars. I am simply borrowing them for the time being.**

**A/N: Well, I stuck my toe into the waters of Star Wars fan fiction with my one shot "Duality of a Single Man" and I got some positive feedback on that. So I figured I'd try writing a more in depth story. This is how Star Wars would have gone had Anakin been using common sense and had realized the error of his ways before it was too late.**

**A/N: I've never actually seen "Revenge of the Sith." but I've seen a few scenes online and I've pieced together events from reading Wikipedia. So, don't kill me if I got something wrong. Please be kind, I'm still new to this. I hope you enjoy this first chapter.**

Anakin Skywalker stared in shock at the Chancellor. Sudden realization had come to him upon witnessing Mace Windu's death. He stared in horror at the man he had been attempting to defend. This man would not care whether Padmé lived or died. Did he really hold the key to Anakin's wife's survival? Anakin was beginning to doubt that.

Palpatine approached the young Jedi. In his mind, he had Anakin right where he wanted him. He was about to speak when Anakin beat him to it. "You used me," he said softly.

"Indeed I did," Palpatine shamelessly confessed. "Now, join me," he smiled, knowing he had Anakin in the palm of his hand.

"No one can stop death," Anakin's common sense had come back to him full force. He was such a fool for trusting this man. There had to be another way to save Padmé, he couldn't just turn his back on everything. Padmé would never forgive him if he saved her by joining forces with this evil man.

Anakin ignited his lightsaber "I'm gonna finish what Mace started," he stated.

Palpatine laughed and the next thing he knew, Anakin had been flung against the wall of the Chancellor's office. A burst of Force lightening ripped through his body. "Foolish boy," Palpatine sneered "Join me if you value your own survival. In a matter of hours, the Jedi will no longer exist."

Anakin sat up, staring daggers at the man who had once been like a father to him. He stood and prepared to face Palpatine but felt himself thrown backwards again. While Anakin lay there, Palpatine moved around the room. Anakin wasn't aware of what the Chancellor was doing but the next thing he knew, he felt the deaths of many Jedi through the Force.

Anakin realized that he was not powerful enough to defeat Darth Sidious on his own. He managed to struggle to his feet once more and made his escape from the Chancellor's office.

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His plan was simple, go to the Jedi Temple, round up any help he could find and return to face Palpatine with an army of Jedi behind him. He ran as fast as his legs, and the Force would allow him.

He reached the temple only to find it surrounded by Clone Troopers. Anakin gasped as the echoes of an overwhelming barrage of blaster fire reached his ears. He activated his lightsaber and attempted to fight his way into the temple.

He managed to make his way inside only to see that the floor was already littered with the bodies of slain younglings. Around him, the massacre continued. He brought his blade up to block a well aimed shot just in time to keep from joining the bodies at his feet.

Anakin spotted a small group of children huddled against a wall. They were still alive, though the oldest of them, a girl whose name Anakin couldn't quite remember, had been hit in the shoulder with a blaster bolt.

Anakin rushed over to the children and took up a defensive position in front of them "Follow me," he said confidently "I'm gonna get you out of here." The four children followed him closely and without question as he managed to lead them out of the temple.

When they were a safe distance away, Anakin deactivated his lightsaber and turned to the children. He knelt and lifted the girl with the blaster wound into his arms "What are your names?" he asked of them.

"Lya Quee," the girl in his arms murmured.

"Raile Eros," one of the small boys stated.

"Quix Covell," the other small boy said softly.

"Jenica Zem-Ette," the other little girl answered.

"We have to get you someplace safe," Anakin told them as in the distance, he could see smoke rising from the temple.

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Padmé was surprised when Anakin showed up, with a child in his arms and three other children following close behind him. She was even more surprised when he spoke "We have to leave Coruscant, now."

"What? Why?" Padmé asked, her hand unconsciously coming to rest on her swollen belly. She could sense the desperation in her husband's voice "What is it?" she asked even as the group headed towards her ship.

Anakin did not want to worry her. He did not want to tell her that upon seeking medical attention for Lya, he had been accosted by a squadron of clones and that he and the band of surviving younglings had barely survived. He couldn't tell her that even now, they were being chased. Sidious had ordered that Anakin, Padmé and anyone found aiding them were to be executed.

But he did not wish to worry her so he remained silent as R2-D2 settled himself into position to aid Anakin in the piloting of the ship and 3PO aided Padmé in tending to Lya's wound as best they could.

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"Find them, we must," Yoda stated as he and Obi-Wan watched the holographic replay of the massacre. Yoda's small green hand pointed to Anakin, nobly leading the four surviving younglings away from the carnage.

Obi-Wan nodded "I think I know where to start looking," he informed the Jedi Grand Master.

But when he and Yoda managed to reach Padmé's residence, having more than a few close calls with clones along the way. They found that no one was there. Yoda told Obi-Wan to attempt to locate them. Yoda stated that he had unfinished business to attend to but would not elaborate..

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"We'll be safe here," Anakin told the group as he navigated the ship through the Polis Massa asteroid field, searching for the medical facility.

"Good," Padmé appeared behind him. Polis Massa had not been their first choice. They had first attempted to flee to Naboo only to find that Palpatine was one step ahead of them. They had barely managed to jump to hyperspace just before being destroyed by the ships that had been lying in wait for them.

Anakin turned to her "How's Lya?" he inquired, reaching up and taking his wife's hand in his.

"3PO and I did the best we could," Padmé told him "But she needs to be in a proper medical facility.

"She will be," Anakin told her just as he got his docking instructions from Polis Massa.

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"Will Lya be okay?" Jenica asked as soon as she saw Anakin emerge from the room.

Anakin smiled and took a seat beside Jenica "The doctors say that she's gonna be just fine," he told her "She just needs to rest for a little while."

Padmé came over to Anakin "Obi-Wan is here," she informed him "He says he's been looking for you."

"I should go speak with him," Anakin stood "Could you watch over them for me?" he asked as he took his wife's hand and pressed a lingering kiss to her lips.

Padmé smiled as he pulled away "Of course," she assured him before sitting down beside Jenica and the boys.

Anakin gave her another lingering kiss before heading off to meet up with his former master.

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Obi-Wan could not help giving Anakin a hug as soon as he saw him "Thank the Force you are here," he breathed a sigh of relief.

"I was just about to say the same thing," Anakin said. He grew serious "How many have fallen?" he asked.

"Too many to count," Obi-Wan said sorrowfully "The group of younglings you saved from the temple, you, me, and Master Yoda seem to be all that is left of the Order."

"Any word from Ahsoka?" was the next question from Anakin's mouth. He did not want to believe that his former padawan had fallen. He had felt many Jedi deaths through the Force but not hers.

"Nothing," Obi-Wan told him.

The two Jedi fell into silence. It was not until nearly a full five minutes later that Anakin spoke "It was Palpatine."

"I know," Obi-Wan replied.

"He manipulated me," Anakin continued "I've had visions, of Padmé, dying," he admitted. Anakin took a deep breath "He told me he knew the secret to stopping death. I believed him," he let his head drop "I almost joined him Master. I almost turned to the Dark Side."

Obi-Wan looked upon the young man whom he thought of as a brother. He took a step closer to his former padawan "But you did not," he said as way of assurance.

"No," Anakin nodded "I did not turn. Padmé would never forgive me if I chose to turn my back on the light to save her." He looked down at his feet for a moment "The Sith don't hold the secret to stop death, do they."

"No," Obi-Wan replied "I do not believe anyone does."

Anakin looked up to the ceiling "I thought as much," he murmured. He knew that there was no way that he could save Padmé. Just like his mother, she would die. But their child would still need someone.

At that moment, Quix came running up to them "The Senator told me to come find you," the small boy said breathlessly.

Anakin turned and knelt before the small boy "What's wrong?" he asked, trying not to appear to the boy as desperate and afraid, though that was how he felt.

"She told me to tell you," the boy paused and tilted his head as if trying to remember something. Anakin had to remember to remain patient. "She wanted me to tell you that… her… water's broken," Quix said hesitantly.

**A/N: I usually write chapters that are a bit longer but I felt this was a good place to stop it. Please, let me know what you think.**


	2. Chapter 2: Joy, Short Lived

**Breaking Destiny's Bonds**

**Chapter 2: Joy, Short Lived**

**A/N: Thank you everyone who read and reviewed the first chapter. Here is the second one. It made me feel so much better to rewrite the scene where Padmé gives birth so that it was the way that it should have been. I hope you all enjoy it.**

"I'm here," Anakin whispered as he held Padmé's hand tight "I'm here my angel," fear still coursed through him. His visions had told him that she would die in childbirth. But if these were to be her last few moments, he promised that he would spend them with her and let her know how much he loved her.

The doctor and the medical droids had continually reassured him and Padmé that everything appeared normal. But Anakin's fear would not be assuaged. Obi-Wan had been there too for a time but when Bail Organa had arrived with Master Yoda and Ahsoka, he had left to check on them. He had promised Anakin that he would return as soon as he could.

The doctor was running a scanner over Padmé's belly to check the baby's heart rate. Suddenly Anakin's head snapped up when he heard the doctor exclaim "Oh my."

"What?" Anakin was first to ask.

"Is something wrong?" Padmé inquired, fearful for the safety of her child.

"No," the doctor said reassuringly "It appears that you're having twins, Senator."

Padmé's smile blossomed in spite of the pain of labor "Twins Ani," she said in amazement and joy "Twins! Can you believe it?"

Anakin smiled, in spite of his fear and kissed her. Padmé suddenly became rigid as another contraction. Her head fell back to the pillow behind her.

"The first baby's coming," the doctor told them as Padmé began to push.

The next thing Anakin knew, the squirming little bundle was in his arms. It was a beautiful, perfect, baby boy. He smiled and placed a kiss to the infant's forehead. He turned to Padmé "It's a boy Padmé," he told her, handing the child to her.

They shared a smile over the baby's head "Luke," they said in unison.

Only a minute later, the second baby made it's way into the world. Anakin found himself staring down into the face of a beautiful baby girl. He smiled "Leia," he whispered as he held the baby and attempted to maneuver the girl into Padmé's arms without either one of them losing hold of baby Luke.

The doctor left the family alone to get acquainted with each other. Anakin stared into Padmé's face "How are you feeling?" he asked, knowing that the end must be near.

"Exhausted," she smiled as she held both her children in her arms.

Anakin kissed her lips softly. He breathed a sigh of relief. Though she was sweating from the exertion of labor, she looked healthy and she was smiling. He was allowing himself to believe that she would not die.

"Two Anakin," Padmé's grin lit up the entire room "Two beautiful, healthy babies."

Anakin was sure that his grin mirrored her own. "Luke and Leia Skywalker," he smiled down at the infants. He kissed each of them "I love you."

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"Your former teacher will be pleased to see that you were not destroyed along with the others," Obi-Wan eyed Ahsoka "How did you escape?"

Ahsoka hung her head "It was close," she admitted "All but a handful of my troops were on the planet. The rest were on the ship with me. When they turned on me, I somehow managed to flee them. I got into an escape pod and headed back to the temple…" she fell silent.

Obi-Wan patted her on the shoulder. The memory of the younglings lying, slaughtered at his feet was all too fresh in his mind. "It is good to see that you are well," he told her simply.

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The Separatist facility lay in ruins. Palpatine deactivated his lightsaber. He hated having to do the dirty work himself. He had been so confident that Anakin would become his knew apprentice. Now he needed to search for a new one.

He returned to his ship and settled in for the long flight back to Coruscant. He would have to find a new apprentice, but who, now that all the Jedi had been destroyed. Though not all of them, he remembered. Master Yoda had survived and so had that annoying young woman, Anakin's former apprentice Ahsoka. Of course he had no idea where to find her now. And even if he could locate the wayward Jedi, she would not be so easy to manipulate as Anakin had been at first.

He grumbled bitterly. He was the ruler of a galaxy. Leaders didn't dirty their hands with this business. He needed someone fearsome, someone imposing to enforce his rule. He would begin the search upon his return to Coruscant.0

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"They're beautiful children," Ahsoka praised "Congratulations."

Padmé smiled "Thank you."

"Remain here, we can not. Stayed, far too long already, we have," Yoda told the assembled group, consisting of Obi-Wan, Ahsoka, the younglings, Anakin, Padmé and the two infants.

"Split up the younglings we must," Yoda continued "Keep them together, to dangerous, it is."

"Each of us should take an apprentice," Obi-Wan suggested.

"A good idea, Master Obi-Wan has," Yoda agreed, looking at the four children "With this, do you agree?"

Each child nodded in turn "We agree," Lya, her injury well on its way to being healed, spoke for all of them.

Jenica had already made her way into Ahsoka's lap by this point. Ahsoka smiled softly "I believe that I will take Jenica on as my student."

"Master Obi-Wan," Quix tugged on the Jedi's sleeve.

"Would you like to train with me, Quix?" Obi-Wan asked.

"Yes," Quix replied eagerly.

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Padmé smiled down into the bassinettes at her two perfect little angels. The twins were fast asleep. The humming of the ship's engines soothed them. Padmé dropped soft kisses to each of their foreheads before pulling herself away from the bassinettes. She turned to a cot in the corner where eight-year-old Lya was curled up.

Lya lifted her head "Are they alright?" she asked softly.

"Yes," Padmé reassured "They're just sleeping." She took a seat on the cot beside Lya "You should get some sleep as well. It will be a long journey."

Lya nodded and lay down again. Though she was positive it would be impossible to get to sleep "Do you think that the others will be alright?"

"They will be fine," Padmé assured the child.

"Will they be lonely?" Lya inquired. She had spent her life among the other younglings of the temple. She had never longed for a playmate or companion. But now, with her remaining friends spread out across the galaxy, she couldn't help feeling an overwhelming sense of loss.

"I don't know," Padmé mused. Then to assure the child, she quickly added "Master Obi-Wan and Ahsoka will be training Quix and Jenica together."

"What of Raile?" Lya questioned "He will be all alone with Mater Yoda."

"One is never alone when Master Yoda is around," Anakin said as he entered the cabin "Now my young one, it is time for you to go to sleep."

Lya looked up at her new master "I am… nervous," she did not dare use the word "afraid".

"You must not worry," Anakin assured her "You are too young to bare the burden that you insist on carrying."

"Yes Master Anakin," Lya said dutifully as she curled up into a ball and tried to sleep.

Anakin motioned for Padmé to follow him. She left 3PO to look after the children and followed her husband into the cockpit. "When will we arrive?" she asked.

"We'll be in the Arkanis Sector in five hours," Anakin informed his wife, trying to keep the sour expression from showing on his face.

"Our family will be safe there Ani," Padmé reminded him.

"Safe?" Anakin could not help sounding indignant "Owen would hand us over to the Emperor the first chance he got."

"Ani," Padmé tried to soothe him "The Emperor knows that you never want to return to Tatooine. That's why it is the perfect place to hide."

She had explained this to him already, several times. And though Anakin agreed, he was still not happy about it. Nothing could make him happy about returning to Tatooine. But there was his family to think about. He had to shield his children and young Lya from whatever evils the Emperor might commit.

"I know," he sighed in resignation "But I-"

"No," Padmé put a finger to her husband's lips "No more objections please? You will upset Lya if she overhears you talking about your disdain for what will become her home."

Anakin nodded and kissed his wife "As always," he conceded "You are right." Lya was already upset about a great many things, Anakin could sense her anxiety quite clearly through the Force.

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"Where are we going again?" Ahsoka asked, sliding into the copilot's chair.

"Endor," Obi-Wan told her for the forth time. He turned to look at his companion "Are those two asleep?" he asked with a bit of a smile.

"Finally," Ahsoka sighed. Quix and Jenica had spent the better part of the last two hours peeking out every viewport and looking in every nook and cranny of the ship.

"They are quite a handful aren't they?" Obi-Wan laughed.

"I hate to think what Anakin and Padmé are going through right now," Ahsoka commented.

"I'm sure Lya isn't giving them any trouble," Obi-Wan remarked.

"Maybe not," she agreed "But Lya plus twins?"

"Infants are easy, Ahsoka," Obi-Wan stated.

"Easy?" Ahsoka was indignant "How so?"

"They stay in one place," Obi-Wan told her "It will be another year before they start pulling everything out of every drawer just to see what it is."

Ahsoka laughed "I kind of like how curious those two are."

Obi-Wan studied her carefully. She was smiling broadly at him. He returned her smile before looking out the viewport as the view transformed from that of hyperspace to that of realspace. This was definitely going to be interesting.

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Yoda moved about his hut on Dagobah. Young Raile lay sleeping amongst a pile of blankets. Yoda stopped and stared down at the boy. Had this been a mistake? Children needed companionship. Yoda wasn't sure if this was the best place for a six-year-old boy.

It was too late to change things now. He had taken responsibility for Raile's training. He had taken responsibility for the boy. He would find a way to meet Raile's needs for companionship.

Raile moaned in his sleep and rolled over. Yoda placed a small hand on the boy's shoulder "Worry not young one. Take care of you, I will. Sweet dreams, may you have."

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"If you're willing to work," Owen Lars conceded, looking at Anakin. He would have said no if it weren't for Beru's soft heart. When she had seen Padmé, holding the twins and Lya trailing behind, she had practically begged him to let them stay.

Anakin bowed his head "Thank you," he said graciously.

"Beru is already setting up a room for you in the back," Owen informed him "It will only be temporary until you can build your own house."

"Thank you again," Anakin said, trying to be humble.

"Look," Owen said, a bit awkwardly, holding out a hand "I just wanted to say," he took a deep breath "Congratulations on the birth of your children."

Anakin nodded his thanks and took Owen's hand, shaking it. He understood that that small pleasantry had been difficult for Owen. He resolved deep down to make things work out here, for his family's sake.

**A/N: Okay, I just want to explain why I decided to add Ahsoka. Well, the Jedi could always use one more surviving member and while I am not a devoted fan of "The Cone Wars" series, I think that she gets a bad wrap for screwing canon. Adding her in this story is my way of trying to make up for it.**


	3. Chapter 3: Attachments

**Breaking Destiny's Bonds**

**Chapter 3: Attachments**

**A/N: Thank you so much to everyone who is reading and reviewing my story. You guys give me the courage to continue. As I write more, I feel like I'm getting more and more adept at writing for this fandom. And the strangest thing is that while word underlines sentences that are improperly phrased, the lines of dialogue I write for Yoda have not as yet been underlined. How crazy is that. Word must really like Yoda-speak LOL. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter. There are a few surprises ahead.**

The years passed by. Anakin found a sort of peace working on the moisture farm. He watched his children take their first steps, he heard them speak their first words and more. He cherished each moment with his family. Lya's training proceeded well; she was quite adept in the Force and a quick learner with excellent control over her emotions, at least during the day.

At night Anakin would feel the fear coming off of her in waves. The memories of what she had witnessed at the Jedi Temple at such a tender age would never leave her. They plagued her nearly every night.

When she wasn't training, Lya helped Beru or Padmé with something or another. Usually, she helped to take care of Luke and Leia. She was quite good with the twins. They both loved and looked up to her.

Three years after they had arrived, Anakin sat on the porch of his finally finished home. He watched the twin suns of Tatooine set in the distance. He hated the dry dust ball he had taken to calling home. He wished he could be off, battling the Empire. Tales of the Emperor's atrocities had reached even the most remote regions of the Outer Rim.

At his feet, three year old Luke played with the toy speeder that Anakin had gotten him for his birthday. The little boy looked up at his father with his brilliant blue eyes, eyes that Padmé always remarked that he had inherited from his father. "Daddy," the boy stood up and reached his arms up to his father.

Anakin lifted the boy into his lap and they watched the sunset together. "What's on your mind, Luke?" Anakin asked, tousling his son's soft blond hair, a trait which the boy had also inherited from his father.

"Why do we live here?" Luke inquired.

"Because we do," Anakin replied, knowing Luke was too young for the real answer.

Luke held out his hand and the toy speeder lifted off the porch and into his hand. The boy acted as if it was no big feat but Anakin marveled at his son's abilities at such a young age. He hadn't trained Luke much at all. His son's abilities just seemed to manifest naturally. He could tell that his son was destined to be a great Jedi.

"I don't like sand," Luke told his father.

"Neither do I," Anakin murmured. He was in the process of thinking up some reassuring lie to tell his son about how they were with their family when he heard soft footsteps come out of the door behind him and stop at his side.

He smiled down at Leia. She was so much her mother's daughter. Leia batted her eyelashes at her father "Momma says that dinner's ready," she told her father.

Anakin stood up and set his son on the ground "Let's go eat," he told his children and they disappeared into the house.

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"Done well you have," Yoda praised Raile as they ate their evening meal. Over the last three years, Yoda had tried his best to be not only the master that Raile needed but also the friend and companion he deserved. Raile had appeared to have flourished and was quickly coming into his own.

"Master Yoda," the now nine-year-old boy began "Do you think the others are alright?"

This was a question that Raile had asked often in the past. The young boy had a talent for sensing things through the Force. Whenever Raile asked after the others, it meant that he had sensed something, usually a broken limb or a sudden burst of emotion.

"Something you sense, young one?" Yoda questioned, knowingly.

The boy's face became serious "Master Obi-Wan," he murmured "He feels strongly for someone. I can sense… love… powerful love," Raile decreed.

Yoda chuckled "Knows well enough to deal with this emotion, Master Obi-Wan does," he assured the boy "Not the first to give in the love, he will be. All we have left in this dark time, attachments are."

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Obi-Wan made sure that the two children were asleep before stepping out of the hut that had become their home. He knew where he would find Ahsoka. He silently traversed the well warn path to the sanctuary that Ahsoka had insisted on building. He halted at the door of the Jedi Shrine as they had named the structure and listened for sounds from within.

He heard nothing. He pushed the door open a crack and the soft glow of candles reflected off his eyes. He entered, seeing Ahsoka kneeling in the middle of the single room before ten lit candles.

He came and knelt beside her "Have you received any answer yet?" he inquired.

She turned her head to look at him "Several," she responded. She had been meditating for hours, searching for the answers to some questions that had only recently arisen.

"And…?" Obi-Wan prompted softly.

Ahsoka turned back to the candles before her "I have received nothing but positive feelings and hope for the future," she turned back to Obi-Wan and wrapped her arms around his neck "Our child will be truly blessed."

Obi-Wan kissed her and ran his hand over her stomach. After three years of living with Ahsoka, training their apprentices together and sharing in every aspect of life, it had become inevitable. Obi-Wan knew that darkness still reigned over the galaxy and that soon they would be called upon to do something about it but he could not remember a time in his life when he was more happy.

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"Ani," Padmé whispered sweetly in his ear "Ani, you promised Owen that you'd get to work early."

Anakin rolled over and groaned "It's too early," he complained.

"I know someone who doesn't think it's too early," Padmé chuckled as she saw Lya pass by the open door of her and Anakin's room on her way to take her morning run. "Are you sure it's safe for Lya to be going off alone?" she asked.

Anakin rolled out of bed "I'm going," he told her "I'll keep an eye on her while I do the work up on the ridge. He leaned down and gave his wife a parting kiss "I will see you soon," he told her as he followed eager Lya out into the early morning of Tatooine.

"I'll be waiting," Padmé replied, sneaking another quick kiss before getting out of bed to retrieve the twins.

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Three years. Palpatine slammed his fist into the tabletop. It had been three years. Three years and he was no closer to finding Anakin Skywalker and making him suffer than he had ever been. And he was no closer to having a new apprentice.

Sure there had been a few wannabes, officers from the ranks who thought they had what it took to be the Emperor's enforcer. But they had all proven unworthy and had all met their end by Palpatine's hand. Killing them gave him a moment of pleasure but it still didn't change the fact that he had no worthy apprentice.

There had been a few Force sensitive infants born in the last three years but Palpatine did not have the patients to deal with a child. He was not a patient man. All of his patience had been spent in the Senate, waiting for the opportunity to seize power completely. The babies that he had been able to locate had been destroyed. He did not want to deal with them and he did not want them to be able to grow up to fight against him.

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Padmé looked at Anakin with wide, sad eyes. He had taken a small ship to visit with the Yoda, Obi-Wan and Ahsoka on Dagobah. He had taken Lya with him. It was a journey the two had made twice before, once ever standard year since they had gone into hiding.

On their way back, Anakin and Lya had managed to land on Naboo without being noticed and had gone to check on Padmé's family. What they had learned from friends and neighbors was what had upset Padmé so much. She hung her head and was immediately enveloped by Anakin's strong embrace.

"I'm so sorry Padmé," he whispered as he stroked her hair. What remained of the Naberrie family had been hunted down and captured by Palpatine. No one that Anakin and Lya had talked to had known anything beyond that. No one could tell them if they were still alive or not.

Padmé cried for an hour, Anakin holding her and attempting to comfort her the entire time. Leia walked over to her mother and tugged gently on her clothing "Momma?" she asked in her innocent little voice "Why are you sad?"

Padmé simply bent and picked up the child, holding her tight. She did not answer her daughter's question. Leia would learn of the Empire and its evils all too soon. Padmé would not be the one to take away her childhood.

Luke came to his mother's side as well and Padmé held them both in her arms as Anakin held her. She was not going to lose anymore family to the Emperor, she vowed.

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Yoda looked out upon the landscape of Dagobah. Raile had been right; Obi-Wan had indeed began to feel an intense connection to Ahsoka. The baby growing inside her was proof of that.

Yoda watched as Raile walked back to the hut, carrying fire wood. The pile floated in front of the child and came to rest right beside the hut's entrance. Yoda smiled at the boy "Done well you have," he praised.

"Mater Yoda," Raile began, a look of determination on his face "Am I old enough now to fight the Empire?"

Yoda looked at his apprentice in shock "Why so eager to fight, are you?"

"I want to stop them," Raile had had visions of the infants that Palpatine had ordered be killed. He had seen the weeping parents as the bodies of their beloved babies were wrenched from their arms and reduced to ashes. The visions angered him. Raile knew that anger could lead to the Dark Side but he couldn't help feeling angry at the overwhelming pain he saw.

"Stop them you will, some day indeed," Yoda said, sensing Raile's anger and becoming concerned about his apprentice. "But now, time to build the fire, it is."

After the fire had been built, Raile brought up the subject again. Though he was only nine years of age, his passion for justice ran deep. His hate for the Empire was barely controlled. "When will the time come that we will rise up against the Empire?" Raile questioned.

Yoda sighed, trying to remain patient. His student could be trying some times. "Come, the time will. Know when it arrives, we will. Now, the time is not."

"But they've caused so much pain," Raile pleaded "So many people are suffering. How can the Jedi ignore that?"

Yoda's face took on an expression of sorrow "Too few of us, there are. Make a difference, we might but be destroyed wel almost certainly would."

"I would rather die knowing I made a difference," Raile said stubbornly.

"Noble, your sentiments are," Yoda praised "But fool hearty as well. Ignore the suffering, I cannot as well. But stay here in hiding, for now, wisdom dictates."

"Yes Master," Raile sighed and set about to ready himself for sleep.

Yoda watched over Raile until he fell asleep. The knowledge that the boy gained from his abilities in the Force was dangerous. Someone so young should not be burdened in such a way. Twice burdened Raile was. First from surviving the massacre at the Jedi Temple and witnessing many of his friends being slaughtered and now by the knowledge of the Empire's evil, a knowledge that the other young ones were not burdened with.

Yoda meditated long and hard that night on the future of his pupil. But no answers came to him. Raile's future appeared clouded, as had been the future of another nine year old boy that Yoda had known once.


	4. Chapter 4: Routine

**Breaking Destiny's Bonds**

**Chapter 4: Routine**

**A/N: Okay, I'm trying to explain everything as it happens instead of skipping ahead in time and then having to go back and explain how things got to where they are but I think it may take a while. So everyone, please try to stay patient, I promise you it'll be worth it.**

**Also, I looked and looked but I could not find the names of Mara Jade's parents so I just made them up. I hope I did alright. As always, please review.**

Jisela Kenobi came into the world, kicking and screaming, delivered by Ewok midwives. Ahsoka and Obi-Wan looked down at their daughter proudly. Quix and Jenica smiled broadly as they looked on.

The Ewok villagers prepared a special celebration in honor of the new life that Obi-Wan and Ahsoka had created. The hut where the two Jedi and their apprentices had lived since their arrival on Endor was elaborately decorated with flowers.

It was a joyous day full of smiles, laughter and love for the child. When it was all over, Ahsoka and Obi-Wan sat together in the bed that they had begun sharing. Ahsoka held little Jisela close to her as the infant nursed.

"I never imagined I would want this," Ahsoka mentioned quietly.

"Me neither," Obi-Wan replied, knowing exactly what she was talking about.

The baby finished nursing and Ahsoka readjusted her tunic. She bent and pressed a kiss to her daughter's forehead. She loved Jisela, she loved her with all her heart but was it right to birth a child in these troubled times?

"Other children have been born in these past years since the Empire took control," Obi-Wan answered the unasked question as he reached out to take his daughter from Ahsoka's arms.

"How many of them born to parents who cannot guarantee that they will be there for them even the next day?" Ahsoka questioned.

"We will be here tomorrow," Obi-Wan assured Ahsoka "We both have many days and many years left in us yet. You more than me," he added with a chuckle.

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Fiana Jade looked out the viewport of her ship upon the never ending landscape of stars before her. She had no idea where to go. She had no way to support herself and her daughter Mara.

They had barely managed to escape Coruscant with their lives. Fiana's beloved husband Baniss had stayed behind to provide them with cover fire so that they could get to the ship. Fiana knew that he was most likely dead by now.

They were lucky that Mara's Force sensitivity had gone unnoticed for this long. But when a friend had alerted them to the approaching squadron of Imperial troops, there was no choice but to leave. Fiana and Baniss would not let the Empire claim their daughter.

"Momma," the two and a half year old girl padded into the cockpit. Her fiery golden red hair, which she had obviously inherited from her mother, cascaded haphazardly down her shoulders.

Fiana turned and swept the little girl up into her arms "What is it my little one?" she cooed "You're supposed to be asleep."

"Can't," the child pouted.

"You can't?" Fiana asked "Why not?" she began to rock the child back and forth.

"Scared," Mara whispered.

Fiana nodded but didn't say anything. She was scared too but didn't want to let on to her daughter about it. After a long moment, she looked down into her daughter's brilliant green eyes, Baniss's eyes, and managed to compose herself "Don't be scared my little one," she soothed "We're going to find a new home, someplace safe."

"What about Daddy?" the innocent angel asked.

Fiana couldn't contain her tears anymore. She held Mara close as she cried. She didn't know how to explain Baniss's sacrifice to her daughter. She had no idea what to say. She felt lost without Baniss but she couldn't afford these moments of weakness. Her daughter's life depended on it.

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Raile, now ten years old, stood in the midst of a cluster of stumpy trees. He kicked a rock that lay at his feet. He kicked it again and again but it didn't make him feel better. The dreams of unimaginable suffering of people across the galaxy had not ceased.

The patience that Master Yoda preached about was not at all easy to practice. Raile began to wonder if Master Yoda was indeed aware of the magnitude of the suffering of the people of the galaxy. He doubted it. If that little green pest knew even the slightest of how bad things really were, he would be out there, trying to do something about it.

And what of Anakin, Obi-Wan and Ahsoka, why did they not act? They had all become soft, settling down in their remote corners of the galaxy where they were for the most part shielded from the Empire. They had settled comfortably into their own little worlds, their own little families. With those poor excuses for Jedi training his old friends from the Jedi Temple, Lya and the others didn't stand a chance. They were doomed to be as pathetic as their so called masters.

"Raile!" Yoda's voice reached him from far off "Time it is to continue your training!"

Raile grunted and gave the stone one last, hard kick. Why did he need to train with Yoda? He was already strong enough, he could feel it. He didn't need Yoda. Still, just the same, he reluctantly trudged back to his "master".

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Barely a week after the twins' forth birthday, Anakin was sent by Owen to pick up a shipment of parts for the farm. Padmé had told him to take Luke with him. Anakin had countered by telling her, quite firmly, that Mos Eisley was no place for a child. Padmé had reminded him that outside of training him, Anakin barely spent any time with his son.

So it was that Anakin came to be walking through Mos Eisley spaceport with his four-year-old son clinging to his hand. Anakin, held just as tight to the boy's hand as Luke held to his father's. Anakin did not like the idea of bringing him to this place.

After talking to an official, Anakin learned that the parts he was there to pick up were at Docking Bay 101. Anakin and Luke managed to retrieve the parts without incident. But on their way back to Anakin's speeder a young red headed woman carrying a small child in her arms practically ran them over.

The large container of parts that Anakin had managed, with a little help from the Force, to carry under one arm, clattered to the ground. Anakin nearly joined it and Luke's hand slipped out of his.

For one terrifying second, Anakin searched for his son. Luke had been jostled by the crowd and was crying out for his father. Anakin quickly found his distraught son and picked him up. He turned to face the woman to give her a piece of his mind.

"I'm so sorry," Fiana said quickly, reaching for the container "Is he alright?" she asked as she tried to lift the container. The stranger had made it look easy.

"He'll be fine," Anakin assured her, taking the container from her and using the Force to put it back in its place beneath his arm.

Luke seemed to calm immediately and slid out of his father's arms "I'm fine," he assured the woman. He offered a hand to the woman "My name's Luke Skywalker," he greeted.

"It's nice to meet you Luke," Fiana reached out her hand and shook Luke's. Mara wriggled around to face Luke and stared down at him. "This is my daughter," Fiana said, choosing not to mention the child's name in case anyone overheard her.

Luke smiled up at Mara "Hi," he said softly.

"Hi," she replied.

The woman turned quickly and was gone in a flash before Mara could say anything else. Anakin grabbed tight to Luke's hand and practically sprinted the rest of the way to where his speeder was parked. He hadn't failed to notice the child's presence in the Force but he was in a hurry to leave this place and get home to explain to Padmé why this had been a supremely bad idea.

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Palpatine could feel it in the Force, a presence filled with anger. A somewhat trained presence. But the anger, so much beautiful anger in this being. Palpatine smiled. He wouldn't have to wait long until he had his new apprentice. He did not know where this boy was now but that did not matter. Palpatine could wait. Though not a patient man, he could wait for this.

He had foreseen that his next apprentice would be the one to make Anakin Skywalker suffer and suffer he would, suffering like he had never known before, suffering like no one had ever known before. Palpatine's smile grew into a sadistic grin. Anakin would learn the price for defiance. He could sense several presences in the Force that were pure. He would corrupt them.

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Obi-Wan watched proudly as Jisela crawled across the blanket towards him. He enveloped the baby in his arms "Well done my little angel," he said proudly.

Jenica and Quix were practicing dueling techniques just outside. They had taken fast to their training and even though they were both only nine, their skills were those of Padawans in their teens.

Ahsoka sat watching the dueling maneuvers with pride "They will be ready when the time comes," she remarked, confidently.

"I believe you are correct," Obi-Wan bounced his daughter gently on his knee.

Jenica and Quix completed their duel and joined their masters. Jenica reached out her arms and Obi-Wan handed Jisela to her. Jenica cooed down at the baby girl. She looked back up at Ahsoka "She will be a great Jedi," Jenica stated as she often did.

Ahsoka and Obi-Wan smiled at each other, this was something they already knew. Jisela's Force presence was strong, bright and warm. She had greatness in her though Ahsoka sometimes feared that as her parents, she and Obi-Wan overstated her abilities.

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"Do you think he'll remember this?" Padmé asked, rocking back and forth slowly as Luke slept against her shoulder.

Anakin smiled softly "He might remember that little girl," he chuckled "You know what he said to me on the ride back?"

"No, what?" Padmé asked, curiously.

"He said," Anakin drew closer and wrapped an arm around Padmé's waist "He said something I don't really agree with actually," he grinned.

"What did he say, Ani?" Padmé asked again.

"He said, that that little girl was even prettier than Mommy," Anakin kissed Padmé gently on the lips "I of course have to disagree."

Padmé smiled softly "Our little boy's first crush," she whispered.

"I wouldn't call it a crush," Anakin remarked "Just a passing infatuation."

"Never underestimate the power of a passing infatuation Ani," Padmé told him softly.

Anakin nodded, knowing exactly what she was talking about, another long ago passing infatuation that had also begun on Tatooine. That star crossed meeting had turned into something, so much more.

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"Lya…?" Leia asked from where she sat playing in the sand in front of her parent's house.

"Yes," Lya came and sat beside the small child "What is it Leia?" she asked, looking down at the little girl.

"When do we get to leave?" Leia asked.

"What do you mean?" Lya countered.

"I heard Daddy tell Momma that one day we'd be able to leave here," Leia told her "I wanna leave, when do we get to leave?"

"Not for a long time," Lya answered wistfully.

"I'm not the only one who wants to leave you know," Leia stated "Luke says that he hates it here and I do too."

"We may not like it here," Lya tried to explain the situation in terms that Leia would understand "But we're safe here."

"Safe from what?" Leia inquired.

"The Empire," Lya murmured without thinking.

"Who are they," Leia looked up in awe at the girl she though of as a big sister.

"They're bad people," Lya said, staring off at the horizon of the endless desert.

"Girls," Padmé called from the front door "You should come in before the suns get to be too much."

Lya stood up and helped Leia gather her toys. The two girls walked back inside the house. Leia trying to wrap her young mind around what Lya had told her.


	5. Chapter 5: Another Skywalker

**Breaking Destiny's Bonds**

**Chapter 5: Another Skywalker**

**A/N: I'm sorry this took so long to get up. It took a few days to get it right. I hope you enjoy it. As always, reviews are more than welcome. Big thanks to all of you who have read and reviewed so far.**

Padmé gave herself one last appraising glance in the mirror. She took a deep breath, collecting herself. She and Anakin had discussed the possibility of more children but the dangers seemed too great. They hadn't actively been trying but then again, they hadn't actively tried for Luke and Leia.

She left the bedroom. Anakin and Lya would return soon. She took a seat in the main area of the house and watched Luke and Leia play with the toys they had received for their fifth birthday. Luke was carefully taking apart and studying the mechanics of the miniature astromech replica that Uncle Own had brought back from a trip to Mos Entha on his last visit. Padmé smiled at her son's fascination with the mechanical. She only hoped that he didn't decide to repeat the process on R2-D2.

Padmé was shaken from her revelry by the joyous laughter of her husband as he and Lya entered the dwelling. Lya, now thirteen, was growing fast. Her long auburn hair was tied back, haphazard strands flying loose around her face and her usually soft gray eyes were shining with victory.

Anakin dropped into a seat beside his wife and kissed her "Was it a good day for you, love?" he questioned.

"Much better now that you've returned," Padmé smiled at him. She wanted to tell him that she was pregnant but she wanted the moment to be just right. She wasn't sure how he would react. She was sure that he would be happy but he would also be surprised, maybe even a bit afraid, given the turbulent situation in the galaxy.

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"Bail Organa came all the way out to Tatooine just to speak with me," Anakin told Padmé as they lay in bed later that night.

"What did he want?" Padmé inquired, still having not told him of her news.

"He met with me in Anchorhead," Anakin began "Apparently, there is talk of rebelling against the Empire."

"That's great," Padmé felt a swelling of pride in her heart as she snuggled closer to Anakin.

"Yeah," Anakin replied, kissing his wife's lips softly. "He asked me if I would be willing to join him on an operation or two."

Padmé sat up straight and eyed her husband "What did you say?" she asked. He had his duties to Lya and to Luke and Leia as well as the promise that he had made to Owen to work for their keep. He wasn't going to abandon her and the children?

Anakin reached out and took Padmé's hands in his "I leave tomorrow," he said quietly "If all goes well, I'll be back in three days."

"I'm pregnant," she hadn't meant it to come out the way it had. She didn't want it to sound like a desperate plea to stay. It was supposed to be a small, hopeful declaration.

Anakin stared at her wide eyed for a moment. He leaned forward and kissed her "Really?" he asked, forgetting the earlier topic momentarily.

"Yes," she confirmed with no trace of a smile in her tone.

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"Don't go…?" Leia begged, wrapping her arms and legs around her father's right leg.

"Stay…?" Luke pleaded, clinging tight to the left leg.

Padmé, who was barely above resorting to such childish tactics herself, had to crack a smile at the look on Anakin's face when his two little miracles could not be pried from his body. Against her better judgment, she walked forward and bent down so that she was eye level with her children. "Darlings," she began in a soothing voice "Your Daddy has to go. We must let him leave, he will come back."

Luke and Leia turned their tear filled eyes towards their mother and silently nodded, letting go of Anakin's legs simultaneously. They stood back, looking up at their father.

Anakin picked both of them up and hugged them tight "I will come back," he promised both of them as he kissed their cheeks "I love you both so much." He set the two down and turned to Lya.

"I wish you would allow me to accompany you Master," Lya told him.

Anakin reached out and ruffled her hair "Next time," he promised "You should remain here. I'm counting on you to keep my family safe."

Lya nodded and bowed her head "I will do so, Master."

"I know you will," Anakin smiled softly at her. He turned to Padmé. His wife had tears in her eyes and streaming down her cheeks. He took two long strides towards her and wrapped her in his arms "Three days," he murmured "Three days and I will be back at your side. Three days I promise."

"I'll be waiting," she whispered against his neck.

He kissed her deeply before climbing into the speeder and racing off "I love you," he called out as he disappeared over the dusty horizon.

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Vella Rin stared out of the viewport of her small ship. The lonely Outer Rim planet of Tatooine below her looked as if no one could ever survive there. She wondered who would choose to live in such a place. Yet the slowly rotating desert beneath her was inhabited by two million humans. They had built quite a life for themselves below, as was evident by her destination, Mos Eisley spaceport.

With her soft blond hair that cascaded down her shoulders and her pale blue eyes she had a reputation throughout the galaxy for being able to charm even the most straight-laced Imperial officer into ignoring her, less-than-legal, activities. She was a temptress, a Corellian vixen who knew what she wanted and knew how to get it.

Vella trafficked in intelligence. She, alone, was nearly as reliable as half the Bothan spynet and a hell of a lot easier to get along with. But it wasn't just information she dealt in. This young woman also dabbled in a bit of smuggling and the occasional passenger or two.

This particular mission was simple. She had been asked by Bail Organa to pick up a passenger at Mos Eisley and deliver him to Dantooine. According to Organa, she was the only one he trusted to keep the location of the newly formed Rebel Alliance's base secret. Vella was looking forward to working with the Alliance: she would do anything to overthrow the Empire.

She set her ship down in Mos Eisley Docking Bay 320 and waited just outside the boarding ramp for her passenger. As she waited, she scanned the crowd of disreputable inhabitance. As little as she knew about the rest of Tatooine, that was the complete opposite of how much she had heard about the types of beings that frequented Mos Eisley.

It didn't take her passenger long to arrive. She spotted him as he was making his way over to the docking bay. He was dressed in a simple white tunic and matching leggings. But the tan robe he wore over them is what really caught her attention. Vella wondered why he would dare to wear it in a public place like this. Surely, someone other than her would recognize a Jedi robe when they saw one.

"You must be Vella Rin," he presumed, stopping in front of her.

She nodded "And you must be the fool that I'm taking to Dantooine."

"Anakin Skywalker," he introduced "Pleasure to meet you," he added.

"Yeah, yeah," Vella nodded "Let's get going already."

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"Will you be joining us, Vella?" Bail Organa asked when Vella followed Anakin into the old ruin of a building that the fledgling Alliance had managed to find for themselves.

"Why would I want to do a foolish thing like that," Vella said pointedly "I've got paying customers all over this galaxy Organa. I'll be back to take the kid back to his planet when you call me. But until then, I'll be out there, finding out as much as I can to try and save your collective rear ends."

"Charming woman," Bail murmured as she left. He turned to Anakin "Good to see you," he greeted "I'm sorry about sticking you with Vella for the ride over but I've been busy here."

"It's all right," Anakin shrugged "Let's just get down to business."

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Fiana looked out the window of the Mos Eisley apartment she had been renting with the credits she'd been able to scrape together from doing odd jobs. She wasn't fond of this place but at least, hopefully, the Empire would never find them here. As long as she could still afford to be living in the little one room dwelling.

She turned to see Mara sitting on the floor, humming softly to her stuffed Bantha. It was the only toy they had brought with them to Tatooine last year and Fiana hadn't had enough spare money for toys for Mara. She was lucky that she could keep the growing child in clothes that fit.

"Momma…?" Mara looked up at her mother questioningly "When's Daddy gonna come home?"

Fiana collapsed to the floor beside her daughter and held her tight. This past standard year without Baniss had been the hardest of Fiana's life. She missed him terribly, and she knew that Mara did too. She still hadn't been able to tell Mara that her Daddy was most likely, never coming back. It was something that Fiana couldn't bring herself to believe.

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Luke sat on the front porch that evening, watching the twin suns set all by himself. It was a while before his mother came to get him for dinner. When she finally did come to retrieve him, he was staring off at distant stars.

"It's time for dinner Luke," Padmé said, kneeling beside her son. The intense expression of concentration on Luke's young face did not escape her "Luke…?" she asked.

The boy turned to her "He will come back," Luke declared as surely as if he had seen the future. He pointed to one of the distant stars "He's not far Mom."

Padmé didn't know it at the time but her son was indicating the exact star that Dantooine orbited around. Padmé smiled softly at her son and took him by the hand "Come on my little Prophet, your nerf steak is getting cold."

Luke stood up and followed his mother inside. _See you soon Daddy,_ he called through the Force.

_You behave for your mother,_ Anakin answered back with the hint of a smile in his tone. _And give your sister a kiss for me._

Luke outwardly groaned.

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"Obi-Wan," Anakin smiled, embracing his former master. "Organa got you mixed up in this too?"

Obi-Wan nodded "I couldn't pass up this chance."

"How is everyone on Endor anyway?" Anakin inquired.

Obi-Wan smiled softly "They're wonderful thank you."

"How are Jenica and Quix coming along with their training?"

"They've grown strong quickly," Obi-Wan replied "And Lya?"

"She bested me in a sparring match the other day," Anakin smiled and shrugged at the same time.

"A thirteen-year-old girl?" Obi-Wan chuckled "Why Anakin, I fear your skills are slipping."

"Not at all Master," Anakin declared "My apprentice simply took advantage of a weak moment that's all."

"What ever you say Anakin," Obi-Wan was still chuckling. After a few moments, he sobered "And how are Padmé and the children?"

"Padmé's pregnant again," Anakin admitted softly.

"Oh," was all Obi-Wan said at first. He recovered from the momentary shock "Congratulations," he chose to be supportive and not bring up all the reasons that he was sure Anakin was already aware of, all the reasons to be afraid.

"Thanks," Anakin shrugged again. "How's Jisela?" he asked, trying to change the subject.

Obi-Wan's face broke out into a full on smile "Amazing," he answered fondly. His face fell "She wouldn't let go of me this morning, she didn't want me to leave."

Anakin nodded in understanding "At least you don't have twins," he said jokingly, trying to lighten the mood. He motioned towards his feet "One on each leg."

Obi-Wan grinned "Really?"

"Couldn't get them to let go," Anakin continued "They're strong for their age."

Obi-Wan chuckled. Suddenly, it dawned upon him how fatherhood had changed both of them. But, he decided, it was definitely a change for the better.


	6. Chapter 6: Boys Will Be Boys

**Breaking Destiny's Bonds**

**Chapter 6: Boys Will Be Boys**

**A/N: Here's another chapter for all of you wonderful people. I hope you enjoy and please let me know what you think of it.**

The small fleet of starfighters that Bail Organa and Mon Mothma had been able to amass wasn't all that impressive. Anakin stood in the makeshift hangar, appraising what they had to work with. There were about half a dozen Naboo N-1s, three P-38s, a V-19 and two rather beaten up looking V-wings.

"It's not much," Obi-Wan said from behind him.

"They'll be able to accomplish what we need them to," Bail Organa assured the two Jedi as he walked into the hangar, followed by several other men, presumably pilots.

Each man chose a fighter. Anakin went for one of the N-1s. It had been a while since he had last flown one but he still remembered how. Once everyone was securely in the cockpit of a fighter the radios all crackled to life.

"Good luck out there," Bail Organa told them "And may the Force be with you."

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"Obi-Wan…!" Anakin called out as his former master's fighter was sent into a spiral.

The P-38 recovered quickly "I'm alright," Obi-Wan called back. "We've almost got it," he added as he rejoined with the other fighters and continued the assault on the Imperial facility. Bail Organa had gotten the base's location Vella who had been the one to suggest the best first attack. The base was relatively low priority and was protected by only a handful of fighters. The trick was in disabling the base before help arrived.

"Follow me," Anakin ordered the two V-wings as he swooped right through the base's defenses and started firing at the generators.

A series of explosions below was quickly followed by the sounds of the other pilot's raucously cheering. "Good job everyone," the pilot of the V-19, a man known as Leo Jansen who had been given the command of the piece mail team by Organa, said "Let's get out of here before someone notices.

Happily, Anakin and the others complied with the order. It was a long journey back to base in the fighters and they had to do a bit of dodging to avoid detection but they made it in one piece. Anakin exited his fighter and stood amongst the group of pilots. It felt good to be doing something about the tyranny that the Empire had brought about. Still, he couldn't wait to get back to his family on Tatooine.

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"Did you win?" Vella asked on the ride back to Tatooine.

"We didn't lose a single pilot," Anakin told her "That's enough of a win for me."

"But did you succeed in destroying the base?" Vella asked with a touch of eagerness to her voice.

"Yes," Anakin answered simply.

There was silence for a few minutes before Vella began questioning him again "So why do you live on Tatooine anyway? It has to be the most depressing place to live."

"Don't I know it," Anakin muttered.

"So why stay there?" Vella pressed.

"As long as we stay there," Anakin told her "My family will be safe from the Emperor."

"Family…? I thought Jedi weren't supposed to have families?" Vella's eyes never left the readouts in front of her.

"A lot of things have changed," Anakin said quietly "I suppose I was a pioneer," he chuckled softly.

"Do you have children?" Vella asked.

"Yes," Anakin told her, feeling through the Force that he could trust her "Twins, a boy and a girl and another one on the way, as well as a very enthusiastic and skilled Padawan."

Vella nodded. She decided to drop the subject for her own piece of mind. Vella had never had children, it wouldn't have fit into her line of work to be calculating hyperspace coordinates and breast feeding an infant at the same time. There was just no place for a child in her world.

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"You did not," Luke protested, staring hard at Biggs Darklighter indignatly.

"Did so," Biggs countered as his small face scrunching together and his little hands balling into fists at his sides.

"You did not!" Luke screamed before turning and walking away, the way his father had told him to the last time he had gotten into an argument with Biggs and the two had gotten into trouble for fighting.

"I did so!" Biggs screamed as he followed Luke "I did to see a Krayt Dragon!"

"No you did not," Luke said quietly as he continued to walk away.

"Yes I did," Biggs grabbed Luke's arm "Come on, I'll show you."

Now the desert canyons of Tatooine are dangerous enough for the adults who know what to be wary of. But for two five-year-old boys whose only thought are of adventure and not of caution or safety, they can be downright fatal. Still, unknown to the leader of the group of children, Luke and Biggs forgot everything their parents and teachers ever told them and snuck away.

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Lya showed up at the primary school in Anchorhead an hour and a half later to retrieve Luke and Leia. Leia was easy enough to locate amongst the girls, who were playing a game of Fynock, Fynock, Garto, but Luke was more illusive.

"Have you seen your brother?" Lya asked of the little girl in front of her.

Leia shook her head "He and Biggs went someplace," she reported what she knew.

Lya made her way to the teacher of the class "Excuse me, but, can you help me find Luke Skywalker…?"

The teacher looked around and suddenly her face took on an expression of panic "He was over there," she pointed with a trembling finger "He and Biggs were playing."

Lya looked down at Leia, she had a bad feeling in the pit of her stomach "You saw them wander off?" she asked the child.

Leia nodded "They were arguing," she said quietly.

Lya noticed the sad look on Leia's face "Don't worry," she said, looking down at the child "We'll find him."

Ten minutes later and all of Anchorhead had been mobilized. There was nothing quite as serious as two small children wandering off into the Tatooine wilderness. Owen and Beru had come out along with C-3PO, R2-D2 and every other available droid and human they could find.

Padmé too arrived. Lya had insisted that Padmé be the one to remain with Leia while Lya would try to use the Force to locate the boys. Padmé was beside herself with worry when she arrived and she held Leia so tight at first that the little girl was nearly crushed.

"We'll find them," Owen assured her as the search parties began to move out.

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"Let's go back," Luke was trying to convince Biggs to turn around.

"No, just a little further," Biggs insisted.

"Don't like this," Luke murmured. He had a feeling that he had not yet recognized as his danger sense.

"Oh come on," Biggs goaded "Don't be a baby."

"I'm not a baby," Luke countered, having taken the bait. He looked down at the wrist chronometer that Aunt Beru had given him, though he didn't quite know how to tell time yet. Realizing the futility, he looked back up just in time to see a large creature flying towards them.

"See," Biggs pointed "See, I told you."

Luke managed to grab Biggs and pull him away just in time to save the arm that Bigs was pointing with from being bitten clean off. The two boys lay on the ground, behind a large boulder, hoping that the dragon would go away. It didn't fall for the ploy.

The two boys scrambled to their feet and began running as fast as they could, not even caring at that moment which direction they were going in as long as it took them away from the monster.

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Anakin suddenly shot up from his seat, clasping his hands to his face and letting out an audibly gasp. This caused Vella to turn and look at him "Is everything all right?" she asked.

Anakin motioned with his hand for her to be silent as he heard it again. _Help,_ it was his son's voice, sounding small and scared. The communication was probably not even intentional. Luke was terrified, Anakin could feel it. Something bad was happening.

"How long until we reach Tatooine?" Anakin demanded sharply, desperately.

"We're almost there now," Vella replied as the craft dropped out of hyperspace.

_It'll be all right Luke,_ Anakin tried to reassure the boy. _It'll be all right._

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Owen, Beru, 3PO and R2 followed after Lya through the desert. Beru had objected at first to Lya accompanying them. After all, this was no place for a child. But Beru had sided with Lya when Owen had objected to Beru joining him in the search.

"Oh no," Beru murmured as she pointed off into the distance at a Krayt Dragon.

"That way," Lya pointed at the place where the beast was hovering.

"Don't tell me…" Owen trailed off.

"No," Lya assured "They're still alive but we have to hurry."

Lya ran forward, pulling out the lightsaber that she had only recently constructed. The brilliant yellow blade flashed into life.

"You aren't going to take on a Krayt Dragon?" Beru exclaimed in pure fear.

"I'm just going to try to distract him," Lya called back.

Indeed, the Krayt Dragon seemed to be intently focused on a small cave, a cave too small for it to enter. From time to time, it would poke a claw inside or try to fit its mouth to the opening.

But when Lya came charging at it with her lightsaber waving, the animal's focus shifted long enough for Beru, Owen and the droids to approach the caves.

"I hear crying," Beru stated. From the opening of the cave the sounds of two beings, two boys, crying were evident. Beru was the first to approach the cave "Luke," she held out her hand "Are you alright?"

"Aunt Beru," Luke's quavering voice replied from the depths of the cavern "Is that you?"

"Yes," she confirmed, bending and entering the cave "It's okay sweetheart, we're here to take you two home."

Luke and Biggs ran to her, clinging to her while they sobbed. "It's okay," Beru soothed as she held the boys tight and left the cave. She looked over at Owen "I'm going to start back. You should stay here and keep an eye on Lya.

Owen nodded and Beru began to walk back in the direction of Anchorhead "You boys have got your mothers worried sick about you," she told them as they continued to cry.

Lya managed to land a blow that slowed the beast down enough so that she, Owen and the droids could escape. They were long gone by the time the Krayt Dragon recovered so it simply went on its way.

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"Thank the Force," Padmé whispered as she clung to Luke, who was still sobbing uncontrollably. They were home now and Luke was still extremely shaken from his encounter. Padmé soothed him now but she knew the time would come for punishment. She still hadn't even gotten around to asking her son what had possessed him to wander off in the first place. For now, she was just happy to have him back in her arms.

Just then, a speeder pulled up in front of the house. Anakin had felt his son's relief in the Force and knew that the immediate danger had passed, even if Luke was still very much upset. He was still in a hurry to see his family nonetheless.

He came into the house only to be nearly bowled over by Leia. He picked his daughter up and kissed her "Hello Princess," he said affectionately.

"Daddy, I missed you," Leia said, giving him a kiss on his cheek.

"I missed you too," Anakin replied as he walked further into the house "I missed all of you." He sat down next to Padmé, keeping Leia in his lap "What happened?" he asked, looking pointedly at the still distraught Luke.

Luke looked over at his father "I'm sorry," he whispered.

Anakin reached over and patted his son on the shoulder gentle "Its okay," he soothed "Now what happened?" he directed the question towards Padmé.

"Why don't you go play with your sister?" Padmé suggested, managing to pry Luke's small hands from the fabric of her tunic.

Luke nodded sullenly and allowed Padmé to set him down. Leia slid off her father's lap and followed her brother to the room that they shared. Anakin leaned towards Padmé and kissed her "I missed you," he told her.

She nodded "You don't know how much I wanted you to be here today," she whispered, moisture gathering in the corners of her eyes.

"I came back as soon as I could," he assured her "What happened?"

"Luke and his friend got it in their heads to wander off from the rest of their class," Padmé began "Apparently, Biggs wanted to prove to Luke that he had seen a Krayt Dragon."

"They didn't…?" Anakin's voice caught in his throat. From what he had sensed from his son earlier, he was sure that they had located the aforementioned beast.

"Lya found them," Padmé whispered "The blasted thing had the two of them cornered in a cave."

Anakin pulled Padmé into his lap and held her as she began to cry "It's alright," he soothed.

"He could have been killed," Padmé sobbed.

Anakin allowed his wife to cry. She needed to let out her feelings, not keep them inside. He let her share her pain with him. When she finally relaxed a bit, he ventured to ask "Where is Lya?"

"Doing some maintenance on R2 and 3PO," Padmé replied. She lifted her head from her husband's chest and turned to see a pair of blue eyes peering around into the main room.

Luke slowly ventured closer and reached out, touching his mother's hand hesitantly "I'm sorry I made you sad," he whispered.

Tears came to Padmé's eyes again from hearing her son's soft apology. She picked him up and held him close "Please don't ever go off like that again?" she said softly, kissing him.

"Okay," Luke nodded. He turned to his father "Hi," he said quietly.

Anakin took his son from Padmé's arms "It's good to see you," he told Luke, giving the boy a kiss on the cheek "I missed you."

"Missed you too," Luke replied. Anakin could see that his son's eyelids were drooping.

"I think somebody could use a nap," Padmé whispered, once again taking Luke into her arms and standing "Dinner will be ready at 07:00," she told Anakin as she went to go put Luke to bed.

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"You'll be fine," Lya assured C-3PO as she used a fine bantha hair brush to remove sand from his joints.

"I hope he's not causing you too much trouble," Anakin chuckled as he entered the garage.

"Me…?" 3PO asked, somewhat indignantly "Trouble…? Master Anakin, I do believe you have me confused with R2." From where he sat, R2 beeped an indignant retort.

It was Lya's turn to chuckle "I'm not totally convinced that he has 3PO," she informed the droid. The protocol droid went on and on about something about indignity but neither Anakin nor Lya were listening.

"So, you took on a Krayt Dragon all by yourself," Anakin said, appraisingly.

"I didn't see any other way," Lya defended "I needed to get his attention off the boys."

"You face a beast like that, all on your own, and you're still alive to talk about it," Anakin mused.

"And so is the beast," Lya made a point of letting her Master know that she hadn't taken a life.

Anakin's face broke out into a smile "Well done," he patted his Padawan's shoulder. "I knew I could trust you to look after our family," he told her proudly.

"Our family…?" Lya asked. As much as she felt like a part of the family, she had never heard her Master refer to her as such before.

Anakin wrapped his arms around her "That's what I said."

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Obi-Wan was nearly startled off his feet by a bouncing, energetic Jisela as she ran towards him. He caught the little girl in mid air and covered her face with kisses. The child giggled and squirmed.

Jenica and Quix, more restrained than the younger child, soon joined Obi-Wan. "Please tell us of the mission, Master?" Quix nearly begged.

"Is the Empire defeated?" Jenica asked, hopefully.

Obi-Wan reached down and patted Jenica's shoulder "Not yet," he told her "But we must remain patient. Now, the Empire knows that there are those among us who won't stand for their tyranny."

Ahsoka emerged from the house, carrying a young Ewok in her arms "It is good to see you," she greeted as she came over to Obi-Wan and kissed him "I'm glad that you made it back in one piece."

"It is good to see you too," Obi-Wan smiled then his gaze fell upon the Ewok in her arms "What is this?" he inquired.

Ahsoka looked down at the furry infant "The midwives asked for my help in a birthing today," she began "The mother didn't make it."

"I'm so sorry," Obi-Wan said, noticing the look of sorrow in Ahsoka's eyes.

"I was the first one to hold him after he was born," Ahsoka continued "He had bonded with me and shrieked when the midwives attempted to take him."

"I guess you have a little brother now," Obi-Wan smiled down at Jisela "What's his name?"

"Wicket," Ahsoka answered, smiling softly.

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"Reinforce security at all bases in that sector!" Palpatine shouted angrily at his commander.

"Yes, yes sir, right away," the man sputtered before slinking away.

Palpatine paced the room angrily. How? How? Someone had dared to challenge his authority over the galaxy. They had destroyed a base with only a handful of snub fighters. It was infuriating. He could not allow such an affront to occur again. It was unacceptable.

He paused to stare out the window upon Coruscant. At least here in the heart of the Empire, his power was unquestioned. He looked off to the horizon, wondering when the dark, angry heart he had been sensing these past years would finally come to him.

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Twelve year old Raile ran through the swamps of Dagobah on his afternoon run. He used the Force to keep his footfalls from giving away his position to the animals as Master Yoda had instructed him.

The longer he remained on this planet, the more and more frustrated he became with his Master and the situation in general. Master Kenobi had come to the planet to tell Yoda of the rebellion and how he and Master Skywalker would be taking part in their first mission.

Yoda had told Kenobi that the time was not right but Kenobi had disagreed. Raile suspected that somewhere deep down, Kenobi felt the same frustrations as he did. But the Jedi Master was not plagued with the vivid visions of pain that Raile was privy to.

Raile had asked Kenobi if he could accompany him but Kenobi had simply laughed, saying that perhaps next time Raile could join him. Yoda had still not been convinced by the time Kenobi had departed the planet and had muttered for hours about it which only aggravated Raile even further.

Raile had gone out for his run some time ago. Through the Force he had felt the success of the rebellion and wished to be a part of it. He kept running, letting his focus slip and allowing the noise of his footfalls to echo angrily around him.

**A/N: Well I wanted to write a little Luke and Biggs adventure but I didn't realize how much I was going to enjoy writing it and just how much of the chapter it would take up. I hope you all liked it.**


	7. Chapter 7: Birthright

**Breaking Destiny's Bonds**

**Chapter 7: Birthright**

"I can't," Anakin began as he walked beside Bail Organa in Anchorhead "The baby's going to come any day now, I can't up and leave my family right now."

It had taken Vella Rin six and a half months to locate another target that the still young Alliance had a chance at defeating. Bail Organa had returned to Tatooine with Vella to ask for Anakin's help once more. As luck would have it, Obi-Wan and Ahsoka had brought their apprentices to Tatooine earlier that week to train with Lya. Yoda had allowed Obi-Wan to bring Raile along though the elder master remained on Dagobah.

"She won't be alone," Bail tried to persuade Anakin "She'll have your stepbrother and his wife to look after her."

"And more children than she could deal with under the best of circumstances," Anakin countered. Organa had already convinced Obi-Wan and Ahsoka to join the assault and Padmé had graciously offered to watch over Jenica, Quix, Jisela and Wicket.

"Think of the future those children will have if we can't stop the Empire here and now," Organa knew he had found a nerve and he shamelessly leaned on it as hard as he could

Anakin looked across the street at the café where Lya sat at a table in the window with Luke and Leia. The small group was laughing as they ate ice cream. Their lives were those of normal children, even on this arid rock that the Force had forgotten. But Anakin knew that they deserved so much more. He wished he could let them be free to see other worlds instead of living in fear of them being found by the Emperor.

Anakin sighed heavily "When do we leave?"

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"You said I could come," Lya stated as she stood before her Master.

"I'm coming too," Raile decreed as he stepped forward.

"Both of you are to remain here where you will be safe," Anakin said firmly.

"No," Obi-Wan said when he noticed Raile opening his mouth to object "Your Master entrusted me with your safety and I intend not to break his trust."

"But," Lya began, looking directly at her Master "You were piloting starfighters when you were even younger than I am."

"She's got a point Anakin," Obi-Wan commented, turning upon his former student.

"That is not the point," Anakin shot his former Master a look that clearly told Obi-Wan to stay out of it, to which Obi-Wan simply chuckled. "What if something were to happen again like the last time?" he asked of Lya "I need you here, our family needs you here."

Lya conceded "Yes Master," she bowed her head.

But Raile would not be dissuaded "Please Master Skywalker, Master Kenobi, let me join you? I know I'm ready."

"We would not want to break a promise to Master Yoda," Anakin smirked at Obi-Wan "Now would we?"

"I'm almost thirteen," Raile declared "Let me come with you."

"The boy has spent a good part of his life isolated on Dagobah," Obi-Wan murmured.

"Training with the Grand Master," Anakin pointed out.

"He could be a big help," Bail Organa, who had just exited the Skywalker home, added.

"Yes, yes," Raile said eagerly "I know I could be a great help to you."

"You've never piloted a starfighter before," Obi-Wan pointed out.

"I'm a fast learner," Raile pleaded "Please?"

Ahsoka returned from a brief walk with young Wicket in her arms. She walked up to Organa "I cannot go with you," she stated. She did not offer an explanation but the look on her face was so grave that Organa did not dare ask why.

Anakin looked upon Raile with a long and lingering gaze. Through the Force, he could sense the boy's eagerness to prove himself. But beyond that, he recognized a familiar anger. It was the anger of someone who believed he deserved more out of life, the anger of a boy who craved action. Anakin was bothered by the sensation. If they were to leave Raile behind, the anger in him would grow. Anakin decided to stick up for the youth. Perhaps if the boy's desire was filled, the anger in him would dissipate?

"I believe Raile will make an excellent addition to our group," Anakin finally said. He felt an overwhelming burst of joy from the boy and the anger inside became overshadowed. Anakin truly believed that he had made the right decision.

"Thank you Master Skywalker," Raile sprang forward and threw his arms around Anakin's middle. "I won't disappoint you." Anakin certainly hoped that he had made the right choice.

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Anakin and the others had already been gone two days. Vella had returned to Tatooine to watch over Padmé along with Ahsoka as Anakin had requested. It was the dead of night and the surrounding desert outside was crawling with Sand People. Vella lay on one of the couches in the Skywalker's main room fast asleep when she was jolted awake by a horrible noise.

She shot up to see Ahsoka, the Ewok infant attached to her hip, running from the direction of the bedrooms. Vella was quick to intercept her "What's going on?" she asked, taking note of Ahsoka's expression.

"Padmé's gone into labor," Ahsoka answered.

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"It's too dangerous to go to Anchorhead at this time of night," Owen said fifteen minutes later as he and Beru stood in the middle of his stepbrother's house.

Padmé was occupying the couch that Vella had previously been sleeping on. She was breathing hard from the pain of labor "Get a doctor out here now," she demanded in Owen's direction.

Owen, who had never had to deal with a woman in labor before, cringed at his sister-in-law's harsh tone. In all the years that he had known her, he had never heard Padmé be that abrupt with anyone. He rushed across to his own house to see what he could do about a doctor.

Jenica and Quix, who had been present at Jisela's birth, took the whole thing in stride. Lya remained calm, having been informed ahead of time by Padmé and Anakin just how disturbing the process could be to watch for someone so young. Luke, Leia, Jisela and Wicket hid in a corner, clinging to each other and whimpering.

"Shhh," Ahsoka soothed Padmé as she stood beside her. Ahsoka had been present at many Ewok deliveries on Endor and had learned all that the midwives could teach her. Since the Ewok midwives had been able to deliver her own child without a problem, she reasoned that the process couldn't be too different in humans.

Ahsoka looked up in Beru's direction "Could you take the little ones to your house and watch them?" she requested.

Beru nodded and approached the corner of the room "Come on," she said soothingly to her niece and nephew as she lifted Jisela and Wicket. Luke and Leia followed their aunt across to the other dwelling, casting nervous glances behind them at their mother as they left.

Ahsoka began to give orders to the remaining children "Jenica, get me some hot water. Quix, grab a comforter from one of the beds. Lya, you stay next to Padmé and hold her hand, keep her calm."

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"What's wrong with Momma?" Leia asked timidly as Beru placed a plate of fresh air cakes on the table for the children.

Beru sat down with them "Remember how she told you there was a baby inside her?" she asked softly. Luke and Leia both nodded "Well it's time for the baby to come out and meet everyone."

"Is Mommy in pain?" Luke asked as he looked at the cake in his hand. He couldn't help feeling his mother's discomfort through the Force.

Beru waited a long time, trying to think of just how to phrase her answer. She looked at her nephew. He certainly was a perceptive child "Yes," she said slowly, knowing that he would know if she lied to him "But she'll feel much better once she meets your new brother or sister."

Luke seemed to accept this answer and took a bite out of his air cake, washing it down with a big gulp of bantha milk.

Beru smiled to herself, wondering what Padmé would say if she knew that Beru had baked them a special treat this late at night. She cringed, suddenly hoping that her niece and nephew wouldn't tell on her.

"Don't worry Aunt Beru," Luke responded to her thought "Leia and I won't say anything about the air cakes."

Beru laughed, Anakin had certainly trained Luke well. Though Luke had always been sensitive to the emotions and thoughts of those around him ever since he was a baby.

Owen walked into the room with his shoulders slumped "No doctor will come out this far," he said despondently.

Across the space between the two houses at that moment, a horrible scream of effort and agony could be heard. Luke and Leia cringed noticeably. "I hope the baby comes soon," Luke said quietly.

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Jisela and Wicket were easy enough to get to sleep but Beru found her niece and nephew to be much more of a challenge. Luke had tried to lie down but he was too restless, still sensing his mother's effort in labor. Leia could sense her brother's unease and while she could not feel her mother through the Force the way Luke could, she was still worried.

Beru sat with them, trying to soothe their worries but nothing she did seemed to work. She tried singing to them but the songs of the brave bantha and of the Alderaanian princess and her true love did not help. She tried telling them stories, without success.

"Do you know any stories about Mommy?" Leia asked sleepily. Beru had nearly won the battle she just had to hang on a little longer.

"Actually," Beru smiled softly "I do." When the twins had been infants, Padmé had told Beru about her life as Queen of Naboo and then as Senator. Beru relayed these stories to the wide eyed youngsters and finally, even Luke fell asleep.

Moments later, the reason Luke had been able to finally relax became clear as Lya burst through the door. She stopped herself when she noticed the room full of sleeping little ones "It's a girl," she whispered to Beru "They're both fine. Ahsoka took care of everything."

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Padmé was finally starting to relax as she held her newborn daughter in her arms "Thank you so much Ahsoka," she whispered as she stared down into the beautiful little face.

Ahsoka nodded "You're welcome," she whispered back. While walking with Wicket before the others had left, she had had a vision of Padmé in labor and unable to get to a medical center. It was for that reason that she stayed.

"What are you going to name her?" Lya, who had returned from informing Owen and Beru of the baby's arrival, asked.

"Well," Padmé looked down at the baby in her arms "Anakin and I talked about it and we decided that if we had a girl we would name her Kiera."

"Kiera Skywalker," Vella mused from where she sat, watching the whole spectacle "Pretty."

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"Well done," several other pilots patted Raile on the back as they passed him. Raile had come out the hero in the battle.

Anakin and Obi-Wan watched as the boy smiled broadly at his companions "I hope you're right about this Anakin," Obi-Wan murmured.

"I do too Master," Anakin replied. Raile still had a great deal of anger in him but being a part of the rebellion seemed to give him a sense of accomplishment and duty that it seemed he'd been lacking in isolation on Dagobah.

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Organa allowed Raile to take a starfighter back to Dagobah by himself. Raile arrived to find Master Yoda standing before him, an unreadable expression on his face. Raile got out of the N-1 and knelt before the diminutive master respectfully. "Master Yoda," he began.

"Joined the fighting you have," Yoda concluded, holding up a small hand to silence Raile "Victorious, you have been. Think you better this, the galaxy makes?"

"I do, Master," Raile replied.

Yoda could sense a change in his student a turning away from hatred. Perhaps the rebellion was indeed the answer for Raile. Yoda had raised the boy for nearly six years in relative isolation. For an old master like Yoda, this was not a problem, but he realized that perhaps he had not been the companionship that the boy had needed.

"Proud of you, I am, young one," Yoda finally said "Done well, you have. Continue your fight, you may. But continue to train, you must."

"I understand," Raile replied. The frustration and anger in his heart was less than it had been in years. He felt like he mattered in the grand scheme of the galaxy.

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"Congratulations," Vella said as her ship, the Rin Wolf, made its jump into hyperspace.

"Padmé had the baby?" Anakin asked. He had been trying not to reach out to his family through the Force so that he could keep his focus on the mission but it hadn't been easy.

"Yep," Vella replied "A beautiful little girl."

"Kiera," Anakin turned to Obi-Wan who gave him a clap on the shoulder.

"Congratulations Anakin," Obi-Wan said smiling.

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Palpatine was angry. The rebels had struck again. This time their target had been bigger. They had gotten away and worst of all, there were buzzes of descent in the Imperial Senate. Palpatine could not stand this.

The dark heart he had been sensing for so long was still out there. Someone had tried to interfere to save this heart from his grip but their efforts would fail, Palpatine was sure of that. But this dark heart, so full of hate, so burdened by memories of pain, this heart had not made its way to him yet.

He wanted this heart for his own, and he wanted it now. He wanted to mold this being, train him, to direct his hatred in the direction that Palpatine desired it. He needed to control this being and he had just about hat enough waiting.


	8. Chapter 8: Time Goes By

**Breaking Destiny's Bonds**

**Chapter 8: Time Goes By**

**A/N: This chapter will go through a few years. I hope it's not hard to follow. If you have any questions, put them in a review and I'll do my best to answer them for you.**

Anakin would always feel guilty for not being there when Kiera was born. Even though Padmé seemed to hold no ill will toward him for it, he would always regret missing the moment at which his newborn took her first breath.

Months passed by on Tatooine. Kiera was a very curious baby and the minute she was old enough to crawl, she took her chance to grab, pull, examine and dismember anything she could get her tiny hands on.

Luke stayed up all night once, trying to repair his toy speeder after Kiera had pulled it apart piece by piece and attempted to swallow several of the smaller components. He hadn't been mad at his baby sister. He understood her curiosity because he too had pulled apart everything he could to figure out how it worked.

Beru watched Kiera grow and began to feel a longing in her own heart. One day when she and Owen took the twins to Anchorhead for an afternoon, she let her husband know her true feelings "Owen," she began, in barely a whisper as they watched Luke and Leia playing tag "I want a baby."

Owen looked at her for a long moment "I thought that we…"

"Yes," Beru acknowledged "But…"

Owen kissed her "I've been thinking about it too," he told her.

Nearly a year later, it took a few tries to get pregnant but neither Owen nor Beru complained about it, Athin Lars made his debut. Once again it was a middle of the night labor, this time with Anakin being the one to deliver the baby with Padmé helping him a lot of course.

Anakin went on several more missions for the Alliance during that time, all of them successes. He had taken the opportunity to check in with Raile. Raile was quickly growing into a tall and strong youth. But still, there was a feeling deep in Raile that Anakin found too familiar for his own liking.

It wasn't long until Ahsoka and Obi-Wan allowed Jenica and Quix to join the rebels. And as Lya reached eighteen years of age, Anakin realized he had no right to keep asking her to stay behind. Luke, at the age of ten, had come a long way from the five-year-old boy who had gone chasing after Krayt Dragons only to wind up getting chased by one himself.

While Leia's ability in the Force was next to negligible, Luke had excelled. At ten, the boy had already constructed, and was quite proficient with, his first lightsaber. Anakin hated to admit it but he felt more than confident in his son's abilities when it came to watching after his mother and sisters.

So it came to be that the sixteen year old Raile and the eighteen year old Lya spent a great deal of time together on the rebel base on Dantooine. Again, Anakin was plagued by Raile's all too familiar emotions. He was so bothered that at one point, he requested that Lya stay away from Raile, a request that Lya would ignore. The two began a relationship that lasted for three years. The darkness inside Raile seemed to be under control for the most part. He had not touched the Dark Side to aid him in any of his fights against the Empire.

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Raile awoke on Dagobah, unable to remember the dream he had been having. The nineteen-year-old searched for the source of what had woken him only to discover that it was his comlink. He answered it, knowing that it must be Alliance related business.

"Raile," it was Organa "We've gotten some new information regarding the Imperial base on Naboo."

Raile sat up "I'm on my way."

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At the Dantooine base, Raile found himself sitting at a table with Organa and Lya. "It seems," Organa began "That a small team can enter the facility unnoticed. Once inside, you will place your charges and get out." The plan was for the two young Jedi to carry out this attack while most of the main fighter group commenced a simultaneous attack at yet another facility. This was to be the defining attack, to show the Emperor that the Alliance was gaining strength.

"You're sure we can land there without any trouble?" Raile questioned.

"Positive," Organa confirmed. He turned to a holoprojection of the facility's reactor. It was a tall cylindrical tank with catwalks and ladders surrounding it. Organa pointed to several points on the outside of the structure "Charges, placed at these points should be enough to destroy the reactor."

The two Jedi nodded and rose from the table. They headed for the hangar, trailed by Organa. When they reached the hangar, they made as if to get into their customary N-1s but Organa stopped them "I have something for the two of you." He lead them over to the far side of the hangar where two craft sat, the make of which neither Jedi recognized.

"What are they?" Lya asked.

"Z-95 Headhunters," Organa replied "The latest thing in snub fighters. We were able to acquire these two recently," he smiled "They're all yours."

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"Lya," Raile called through the comlink "TIE interceptor heading your way."

"I see him," Lya called back as she concentrated on the approaching fighter "Firing concussion missiles." The interceptor disappeared only to be replaced by four more. "This base is better protected than Vella reported," Lya grumbled.

"We can't get a shot at the reactor from up here," Raile told her "It's too well shielded. We have to land."

"You land," Lya told him "I'll hold them off up here."

"Are you sure?" Raile asked.

"Yes," Lya replied as she blasted to more TIE fighters out of the sky "Blow the reactor and get back here in one piece, okay."

"Approaching on landing vector," Raile replied "And Lya… I…"

"I love you too," she finished his thought for him "Now go blow that thing and get back here safely."

"Got it," Raile replied as he began the landing sequence.

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Raile had placed most of the charges. The only one that remained was to be placed at the very top level of the reactor. He quickly climbed to the very top only to find someone standing there.

"What are you doing here?" the officer, who had obviously not heard him coming, asked. The man pulled a blaster and began firing at Raile.

Raile immediately whipped out his lightsaber, the strangely deep blue blade hissed into life and he began deflecting shots. Eventually, the exercise became tedious. Raile began to advance on the man. Anger flared inside of him and he thrust his lightsaber through the man's chest.

The man's eyes grew wide for a spit second before he dropped to the ground. Raile was quick to place his last charge and leave the body of the slain officer behind as he ran back to his fighter. For the most part, Raile ignored the tingling feeling in his body. He had had his first real taste of the Dark Side and he hadn't been phased by it.

The shocked and frightened look in the man's eyes hadn't bothered him in the least. He felt no remorse for the loss of life the way Lya or any of his other companions would have.

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Lya saw the explosion rip through the facility. It was bigger than she expected. She felt the losses of many lives through the Force as another TIE interceptor headed at her. She didn't want to have to kill anymore today. But she saw Raile's fighter rising from the smoldering base and she knew she had to provide cover fire.

"Shall we get out of here, partner?" Raile asked as his fighter reached the upper atmosphere of the planet.

Lya nodded though she knew Raile could not see the gesture "Yeah," she murmured as she turned her fighter sharply and left the atmosphere.

Raile followed close behind her, not even bothering to look back at the carnage they had caused.

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Vella Rin could not explain what had possessed her to go walking through Mos Eisley that day. Tatooine's suns seemed even more unbearably hot than usual. Vella didn't like things that were unbearably hot. She wasn't too pleased with normal hot but this, this was unbelievably cruel. Yet again, she pondered why anyone whoud want to live on such a planet.

Suddenly, she stopped in her tracks. In the doorway of one of the Mos Eisley apartment buildings, a dingy thing even by the standards of this planet, a young girl, no more than ten or eleven years old with startlingly brilliant red hair and a heavy looking satchel slung over her shoulder was standing. She was arguing with a rather disagreeable looking Twi'lek.

"My mother will be back soon," the girl was saying "She will have the money."

"Your mother is already a week passed due on the rent," the Twi'lek stated "You haven't even seen her in ten days. I have been more than kind to you. I cannot afford to let you stay here anymore."

"But…" the girl objected.

"There are plenty of others on this planet that will pay their rent on time," the Twi'lek slammed the door in the girl's face.

Vella didn't know why she intervened but there was just something so sad about the way the girl's shoulders slumped and she leaned against the building, a lost look on hsr face. It was clear that this child had no place to go. "It's not safe to stand still on the streets of Mos Eisley," Vella said softly, coming over to the girl.

The girl looked up at her with striking green eyes "I've got nothing better to do," she replied.

"Where are you parents?" Vella asked.

The girl turned away "My mom went out to earn money for the rent and to buy new clothes," she tugged at the rather tight fitting tunic "I really need new clothes," she murmured.

"So where is she now?" Vella asked.

"Don't know," the girl shrugged sorrowfully "She never came back."

"What about your father?" Vella inquired, glaring at passers by, warning them to stay away.

"He died," the child said softly "When I was little."

"I'm sorry," Vella said, trying to sound comforting.

"Who are you anyway?" the girl asked, looking back up at Vella.

"Vella Rin," Vella answered after a moments hesitation "Who are you?"

The girl held out her hand to Vella "Mara, Mara Jade."

"Well, Mara Jade," Vella said with a soft smile "Let's go find your mother."

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"I think we're getting to old for this," Padmé laughed as she and Beru folded laundry. Both women's noticeably swollen bellies.

Beru picked up one of Athin's old tunics that had somehow made it into the wash "I don't know," she mused "I almost like being pregnant."

"At least you're only carrying one," Padmé laughed. The two women had gone to Bestine the previous week for a prenatal check up. Padmé and Anakin had agreed that they wanted to take no chances this time since both of them were getting older. During the check up, Padmé had learned that she was, once again, carrying twins.

Beru had discovered that she was carrying a single baby girl. The sister-in-laws were supportive of and elated for one another. They had decided to share in the journey together, even having saved up the credits to spend the last month of their pregnancies so that they could be close to a medical center when labor came; neither one of them was too keen on another homebirth.

"One may prove to be too many," Beru laughed "If she's anything like her brother."

Padmé laughed "And she'll have two cousins her same age. Imagine all the trouble we're in for over the next few years."

Beru cast her eyes upward "Remember when Kiera and Athin got themselves completely covered in the Blumfruit that Ahsoka brought?"

"How can I forget," Padmé held up the dress that Kiera had been wearing, the formerly white garment was permanently pink.

"I think you may have been right Padmé," Beru concluded "We are getting too old for this."

Padmé smiled broadly "But it is worth it, isn't it?"

"Definitely," Beru agreed.

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"Where did your mother work?" Vella asked as she and Mara walked through the streets of Mos Eisley.

The girl looked perplexed "She never said," she replied "I don't think she had a steady job."

"And she didn't say anything to you the day she left?"

"Just to keep the apartment locked and to study my lessons," Mara replied. Mara's mother had never let her attend the school in Mos Eisley purely out of fear. Fiana had some old datapads that had everything Mara needed to know. The datapads contained information on about galactic history, math, science and nearly everything else. Fiana had gone over lessons with her daughter every night when she returned from trying to earn the money they needed to survive.

Vella sighed, it was growing very dark, even with the lights of Mos Eisley, it wasn't a safe place to be at night. She had no lodgings in Mos Eisley and she couldn't just leave the girl alone. She made the decision to take young Mara back to her ship for the night, they would continue their search in the morning.

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"You really live here?" Mara asked in awe as she ran around the interior of the Rin Wolf. The girl was fascinated with everything she saw.

"Yeah," Vella couldn't help but smile at Mara's excitement.

"How many planets have you been to?" Mara questioned, who while still deeply worried about her mother, was finding it hard not to be excited about being on an actual spaceship.

"Oh," Vella thought for a moment "Probably dozens," she wasn't exactly sure of the exact number.

"Have you seen Coruscant?" Mara was just bursting with questions "We used to live there, back when Daddy was alive."

"I haven't been to Coruscant in a very long time," Vella told the girl.

"Because of the Empire?" Mara asked.

"What do you know about the Empire?" Vella inquired.

Mara's face took on an angry expression "They killed my Dad."

Vella draped an arm around the little girl's shoulders "I'm sorry," she said quietly.

Mara was silent for a moment before she started asking questions again "Have you ever met a Jedi?" she asked "I've read about them in my galactic history lessons but Mom doesn't like to talk about them."

"I have met a few Jedi actually," Vella said, smiling softly.

"What are they like?" Mara asked "I've always wanted to meet one but Mom says their aren't any Jedi left these days."

"Well," Vella knelt down in front of Mara "They're probably some of the kindest people you will ever meet," she began "They're very wise."

"Have you seen a lightsaber?" Mara questioned.

"I've seen Jedi Padawans practicing lightsaber dueling," Vella said, smiling.

"Really?" Mara's eyes grew wide "I wish I could see that."

"When we find your mother," Vella promised "I'll take you to meet a Jedi Master."

Mara's little mouth dropped open "Wow," she whispered as Vella turned down the covers on the bed in the back of the ship "And can you teach me to fly a ship?" she asked as she slid into the covers and let Vella tuck her in.

"Sure," Vella smiled down at the little girl.

"Vella…?" Mara asked as Vella turned to head back to the cockpit.

Vella turned around "Yeah?" she asked.

"We will find my mom, right?" Mara asked, in a soft voice.

Vella didn't know how to answer Mara this time.


	9. Chapter 9: Jedi Paths

**Breaking Destiny's Bonds**

**Chapter 9: Jedi Paths**

**A/N: Unlike the last chapter, this chapter takes place all within the same day. I hope all of you wonderful readers enjoy it. I have some really good stuff coming up, I promise. Reviews are much appreciated and encouraged.**

"Athin," Kiera called out to her cousin from outside the Lars' house "Athin, come on."

Athin Lars appeared from within the dwelling "You're gonna wake everyone up, screaming like that you know," the seven-year-old told her.

"Stop whining and come on," his cousin elbowed him in the ribs "Luke and Leia are waiting."

The two youngsters ran off in the direction of the Eastern hilltop. It was the most magical hour on Tatooine, it was the time between the rising of the first and second suns. It was the time that the children enjoyed the most. In recent months, Luke had been teaching lightsaber dueling techniques to Kiera during this time. Athin and Leia provided a more than willing audience.

Kiera had been using a blue lightsaber that her brother had constructed for her. But today was a special occasion and the little girl was excited beyond words. She didn't want her cousin to miss this moment.

"What took you so long?" Luke looked appraisingly at Kiera and Athin. Athin was known for sleeping in and was not always present at this time in the morning.

Athin shrugged "I'm still sleepy," he complained "But Kiera wouldn't shut up."

"Are you ready, Kiera?" Luke asked, holding out the weapon he had made for her for her to take.

"Ready," Kiera said proudly, ignoring the offered lightsaber and instead pulling something from her back pocket. Eyes all around went wide at the flash of aquamarine light.

"Kiera," Leia smiled broadly at her little sister as she saw Luke stumble backwards in surprise.

Luke recovered himself quickly. His sister was still two years younger than he was when he'd constructed his first lightsaber. "Nice job," he praised.

"Prepare yourself, big brother," Kiera was grinning wildly.

Luke activated his lightsaber and the two began dueling. Leia and Athin watched the two blades flicker round and round. The duel ended with Luke the clear winner though nothing could diminish Kiera's happiness.

As the second sun rose the four children began their journey back to their homes. Luke kept his lightsaber activated to scare away any Sand People that might cross their path.

They arrived back at their homes just in time to sneak Athin back into bed before Owen and Beru realized what was going on. Athin had gotten caught once, sneaking out and Owen had promised the young boy that if he ever caught him sneaking out again, that he would be punished.

Luke, Leia and Kiera walked into their home to see there father waiting for them in the main room. Anakin had been away on a mission and had only gotten back just as the second sun was rising. He had known that his children would be on the East hilltop and so he hadn't worried, stretching out with the Force just enough to know that they were safe and not enough to let them know of his return.

"Daddy!" the three children yelled simultaneously as they bounded towards him and wrapped their arms around him.

"Your mother's still asleep," Anakin told them quietly.

"No I'm not," Padmé laughed, coming into the room. She bypassed her children and hugged her husband tight. "How did things go?" she asked.

Anakin knew she wasn't asking about the mission "I'll tell you later," he whispered, directing a glance in the children's direction. He kissed her "And how are you my love?" he asked.

"Pregnant," she replied, grinning at him "They've been kicking up a storm," she continued "I've been going to the refresher every fifteen minutes."

Anakin bent so that he was facing her swollen belly "You two behave yourselves in there," he commanded with a soft chuckle.

Padmé laughed and cupped her husband's chin in her hand "I have a feeling that these two are going to be just as unruly as our other children."

"Hey," Kiera pouted from where she sat.

"Yeah," Leia put in from her place leaning against the wall "It's Luke who's the unruly one."

"I am not unruly," Luke stated.

"You all are," Anakin laughed.

"Don't think I don't know that you sneak out every morning to go practice dueling," Padmé laughed. When she saw the looks on her children's faces she added "Your Father may have the Force to tell him what you're up to but I have an even greater power, mother's intuition."

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"Wow that's some strong stuff," Lya gasped as she lowered the glass.

"Corellian whiskey," Raile smiled "Vella brought it last time she was on planet. It's the perfect thing to toast a victory with."

"Was it a victory?" Lya inquired, looking out the window at the Dantooine scenery.

"What's wrong?" Raile placed a hand comfortingly on Lya's upper arm.

"All the lives lost in this war," she whispered, not looking at him "The cost seems so high for both sides."

"The Imperials have caused so much suffering," Raile said, trying to comfort her "Their deaths are justified."

Lya pulled away from him and turned, staring at him with wide eyes "Do you really think that?" she asked.

"Life may be sacred," Raile told her "But these are horrible people who have committed unspeakable acts across the galaxy."

"They deserve to be imprisoned, not executed from above by faceless killers. That's us Raile, we're their faceless killers." Tears were coming to Lya's eyes now.

"Maybe you should go back to Tatooine," Raile said evenly "Your master was right to want to keep you from this fight. If you can't reconcile your Jedi teachings with the truth, then you don't belong here."

Lya stood to her feet and slapped him across the face "I understand that the Empire needs to be brought down, I just wish that it could come at much less a cost."

Raile grabbed her arm again and held it tight. The side of his face stung with pain but nothing like the anger that had suddenly ripped through him when she had slapped him. How dare she strike him? What made her think she had the right?

"Raile…?" Lya watched his brown eyes change color for a moment "Raile, you're hurting me…"

And at the sound of her voice, he released her. But he maintained no remorse for his actions. They stood there for a long time, staring at each other. Lya watched Raile with concern but said nothing, she couldn't help feeling a bit on edge, dare she admit even a bit afraid of him at that moment.

"Maybe I should go back to Tatooine for a rest," she said quietly, backing away from Raile slowly, rather than turn her back towards him.

"No, Lya," Raile said, taking a step towards her "Stay with me, please. I can help you reconcile your emotions over killing the Imperials. I can help your pain go away."

"I'm not sure I want to reconcile my regret," Lya said softly "And I'm not sure I want to be with you, if you can take human life so trivially."

"Lya, don't do this," Raile pleaded "Don't just throw away what we have because of a little difference of opinion."

"Difference of opinion," Lya wasn't angry, she was simply stunned "How can you be so callus?"

"This is war Lya," Raile stated, leaning in and kissing her hard, with a passion that scared her.

She pulled away quickly but chose not to slap him this time, she could sense that something was different in him, something was changing "I know that," she whispered "Don't you think I understand that? You weren't the only one in the Jedi Temple the day that our lives were shattered Raile. You're not the only one who still has nightmares about our childhood friends screaming as they were slaughtered right before our eyes," she pulled her tunic to the side, revealing the old scar from that day "I want to see justice done as much as you do."

"Then why does it feel like I'm the only one who remembers what they did to us?" Raile asked "Why is it that I am the only one seeking the justice you speak so highly of?"

"You aren't seeking justice," Lya said in realization "You're seeking revenge," with that, she left Raile's quarters and sped off to make arrangements for transport back to Tatooine.

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"Where is she?" Mara asked as she walked beside Vella through the Mos Eisley streets once again. They had been unable to find any sign of Fiana, no one had seen her and it seemed like even those who knew Mara and her mother had no memory of Fiana at all.

"We will find her," Vella promised. In the day that she had known Mara, she had become quite fond of the child. She was not going to let her down. Vella was resolved to locate Fiana Jade, she only hoped that the other woman was still alive.

Mara was beginning to give up hope "We're never going to find her," she said sadly an hour later.

Vella knelt down in front of Mara "We will find your mother Mara, don't give up. I won't give up on your mother or you." But six hours later and with no leads Vella felt just as hopeless as Mara.

"I'm hungry," Mara said. The poor girl had been on her feet all day and hadn't eaten anything since the ration bar that Vella had given her for breakfast.

Vella looked around but didn't see a place that she would feel safe bringing a child into. Suddenly, an idea struck her. She could get them both a real meal, she could find Mara a safe place to stay and she could enlist the help of a friend to find Fiana. She found a Bothan who was renting speeders to pilots who were docked at the spaceport. She shoved a handful of credits into the Bothan's hand and got into the driver's seat.

"Where are we going?" Mara asked as they sped out of the city.

"We're going to go get some help," Vella said, focusing on the desert terrain ahead of her.

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"Someone's coming," Leia said, spotting the speeder on the horizon. She, Kiera, Athin and Luke playing tag in front of their house, Leia had stopped when she spotted the speeder and she'd remained still long enough for Luke to tackle her to the ground.

Luke rolled off his twin laughing when he suddenly stopped. He got to his feet. He felt a powerful Force signature, one that he hadn't felt before.

The speeder pulled up in front of the dwelling and the children finally got a good glimpse of who was inside. "Vella," Leia and Kiera said excitedly as they ran to hug her.

"Did you bring presents?" Kiera asked, looking up at Vella with wide, pleading brown eyes.

Leia elbowed her sister hard "Shh, be polite Kiera."

Vella laughed, reaching down to ruffle Kiera's curly blond hair "Not this time my little Jedi," she replied.

Luke walked over to the speeder slowly. As of yet, his sisters had not noticed the passenger. The red haired girl stared at the house and the new people with wide green eyes. Luke walked over to her "I've met you before," he whispered.

Suddenly, Mara's fearful look disappeared. She managed a faint smile and extended her hand to him. She remembered meeting the boy. He had been scared like her when she'd encountered him long ago. "I'm Mara," she said as way of introduction as she stepped out of the speeder and shook Luke's hand.

"Luke," he reminded her, knowing that she probably didn't remember their first encounter that well if at all.

"Is your Dad home?" Vella asked as Mara made her way to stand at Vella's side.

"I am indeed," Anakin appeared in the doorway "Good to see you again Vella," he stepped forward, noticing Mara. He knelt before the child "And who might you be young lady?"

Mara remembered this man's face as well "Mara Jade," she stated, holding out her hand to him.

Anakin felt the Force within this child and recognized her immediately as the girl he and Luke had met with her mother in Mos Eisley nine years ago. He turned his gaze towards Vella. He sensed that there was a long discussion ahead.

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"You're really a Jedi?" Mara asked as she stared at Anakin across the table as they ate dinner together.

"Yes, I am," Anakin replied, smiling at the curious child.

"Do you have a lightsaber?" Mara inquired.

"Yes," Anakin answered "Maybe later I will let you watch me and my son practice our dueling techniques," he answered Mara's unasked question of whether she could see the weapon or not.

Padmé looked up at Vella "So, what brings you out our way?" she asked "Not come to take my husband away so soon after his last mission for the Alliance I hope."

"No," Vella replied. She hadn't been able to provide transportation for the rebels in more than a month. She had been busy collecting information. That was why she had come to Tatooine. She had finished a meeting with one of her contacts just prior to meeting Mara.

"I've actually come on Mara's behalf," she said, cutting her bantha steak and taking a bite. When she'd finished chewing she continued "Her mother has gone missing and she has been kicked out of the apartment where she was staying. I was hoping that maybe I could enlist you to help me locate her mother," she directed this last part specifically at Anakin.

"I'd be more than willing to help," Anakin replied "We'll head out for Mos Eisley early tomorrow morning."

"Thank you," Vella said, gratefully "Also, I was wondering…"

"If Mara could stay with us until her mother is found," Padmé put in. One did not need the Force to read Vella's intentions. Padmé especially did not need the Force to answer the question "We'd be happy to have her stay with us. She can have Lya's old room."

"Thank you," Mara said, bowing her head, respectfully.

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"Please don't go," Raile said, following Lya to the base of the small ship's boarding ramp "You don't have to deny the regret you feel but you need to harden yourself against it. Stay with me, I will teach you how to do that."

"I do not wish to become hardened as you have," Lya replied "And I do not seek revenge. I will return to Dantooine within a week. Consider my words carefully. Revenge is not the path of a Jedi. If you continue to seek revenge, you will become that which you loathe most."

With those words, she ascended the ramp and it closed behind her, leaving Raile standing there, alone.


	10. Chapter 10: Searching

**Breaking Destiny's Bonds**

**Chapter 10: Searching**

**A/N: Let's get this out of the way. I am just a young idealistic Star Wars fan. But I am not so jaded that I do not understand that good and evil coexist with one another in a constant struggle. Therefore, someone needs to become Palpatine's apprentice and as long as it's not Anakin or anyone with the surname Skywalker (at least for the moment) I'm okay with that. As always, reviews are appreciated and encouraged because, like most writers on this site, I crave them**

"Mara," a small voice called from the doorway of her room. Mara awoke and sat up to see Leia standing in the doorway. "Mara," she repeated quietly "Come on. You don't wanna miss the match."

"What match?" Mara asked as she slid out of bed.

"Luke and Kiera, Kiera swears she's going to beat him this time," Leia smirked "But she always says that."

Mara rose from the bed "I'll be right there," she whispered back. Leia's face disappeared from the doorway and Mara pulled on a pair of leggings and a plain white tunic. She could only assume that any match that two children of a Jedi would be having would have to involve lightsabers so she hurried to join the other children.

She stood between Leia and Athin on the East hilltop, watching the duel. Mara was captivated by the blades of light as they danced, dipped, parried and struck. It was an incredible sight.

It didn't take long for Luke to be declared the winner on this morning as Kiera yielded rather quickly to repeated swipes at her saber by Luke's emerald weapon.

The three members of the audience cheered and applauded for both victor and the defeated. Kiera climbed to her feet and glared at her brother "That wasn't fair," she snapped.

"It was," Luke countered "You're skilled enough to make your own lightsaber which means that I don't have to go easy on you anymore."

"Go easy on me," Kiera frowned but decided not to continue the argument.

Luke turned to his audience and just to rub it in, he bowed rather grandiosely to them. Leia couldn't help laughing at this. She collapsed to the ground in fits of giggles. Mara smiled and giggled a bit herself but Athin soon joined Leia on the ground, rolling around and laughing loudly.

"Quiet you guys," Kiera warned, though she was laughing as well, though not as loudly "You don't want to wake Uncle Owen, do you?"

Leia was the first to recover. Standing up she looked sternly down at her cousin as if she had been standing their stoically the entire time.

Athin stopped laughing a little while later and stood up. The second sun was already starting to rise. The children would have to hurry if they were going to avoid landing Athin in trouble.

Mara found herself walking beside Luke. Her eyes were drawn repeatedly to the lightsaber which he held out in front of him "Why do you still have it activated?" she asked "You aren't planning to duel some sort of imaginary beast are you?"

"You've never been outside of Mos Eisley have you?" Luke enquired.

"Until a couple days ago, I'd never been more than a block away from our apartment," Mara admitted.

"You've got a lot to learn," Luke said dismissively.

Mara grabbed his arm and spun him around "I know more about the galaxy than you ever will farmboy."

"Farmboy," Luke countered indignantly.

"You live on a farm don't you?" the others had run ahead long ago, leaving the two to their argument. The decision had been made that they would rather face Sand People than listen to what Leia was jokingly deeming a "lovers quarrel".

"Yes," Luke replied, following her train of thought and attempting to formulate a comeback. He had unthinkingly deactivated his lightsaber as the two continued to fight.

"And you're a boy, I assume," Mara countered sharply with a bit of an evil grin.

Luke glowered at her "I see your point," he conceded.

"So don't tell me I have a lot to learn," Mara ordered him.

"What do you know about Tatooine?" Luke asked.

"What is there to know?" Mara asked "It's dry, it's hot, it's got two suns. End of story."

A noise from behind them soon confirmed that what Mara had stated was indeed not the end of the story. A small group of Sand People came riding their banthas over the Eastern hilltop towards them.

Luke handed Mara the lightsaber that he had constructed for Kiera. "What am I supposed to do with this?" Mara asked, looking down at the object in her hand.

"Use it," Luke called, activating his own and waving it in the direction of the approaching Sand People. The raiders were not deterred.

"But I can't," Mara objected, her hands shaking as she stared at the approaching horde "I'm not a Jedi. I have no training…"

"Just activate it," Luke told her sternly as the Sand People began to bare down upon them.

Mara did as she was told and the blue blade sprang to life in her hands. Something awakened deep inside her and she seemed to know how to move it, and how to keep the energy confined in the blade.

"Their headed for the farm," Luke said, thinking immediately of his unsuspecting family. The two children shrieked and ran at the Sand People. The beings were frightened into retreating.

Mara and Luke deactivated their lightsabers and looked at each other. Mara was smiling broadly. "You did very well for your first time," a voice from behind them said.

Both children turned to see Anakin, standing there. Upon sensing the approaching danger that the Sand People posed, and seeing Leia, Kiera and Athin return without Luke or Mara, Anakin had run off in the direction of the Eastern hilltop. He had arrived just in time to see the two children frighten the Sand People off.

Mara bowed her head to the Jedi "I don't know why," she said quietly "But it felt right."

"The Force is strong with you young one," Anakin told her, placing a hand on her shoulder.

Mara's eyes grew wide. She had read enough about the Jedi to know what that meant "I can be trained?" she asked. Anakin nodded and the child smiled brighter than both of Tatooine's suns.

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Lya arrived in Mos Eisley, suddenly wondering why this was the planet she had chosen to come to relax. It was true that many familiar faces resided here but there were very few things, if any that were relaxing about Tatooine. If nothing else, she could have a talk with her Master about the fight she had had with Raile. Perhaps he could assuage some of her misgivings?

Of course, Anakin was the one who had warned her to stay away from Raile in the first place. She wondered if his reasons had been valid. But despite the things that Raile had said, despite the fear he had instilled in her from their encounter, despite everything, she had fallen in love with him. Force help her, she loved Raile Eros.

She decided to stop off at a cantina and grab a drink. It would be a long ride out to the Lars/Skywalker homestead and under the brightness of the Tatooine suns one could become parched, quite fast. She ordered a bribb juice, a drink that she had practically been raised on since coming to live with the Skywalker's.

As she nursed the juice, her stomach began to complain of hunger. She hadn't been able to eat anything on the ride from Dantooine to Tatooine. She decided to order a large plate of pancakes with frill syrup.

As she ate, she kept her senses spread out, to warn her of any possible danger. Five minutes into her meal and she recognized a familiar presence entering the cantina. But why would her Master have come to Mos Eisley? Lya looked up just in time to see Anakin and Vella approaching her.

"I thought you were still on Dantooine," Anakin said as he took a seat across from Lya.

Lya let her eyes drift downwards towards the food on her plate before she answered "I decided to come back for a rest," she replied with a shrug.

Anakin sensed that something was wrong but he dared not pry either with the Force or with questions. He simply put the feeling away at the back of his mind to be revisited at a later time.

"So," Lya decided to turn the tables on her old Master "What brings you to Mos Eisley?" she looked over at Vella "It can't be that you are headed back to Dantooine so soon."

"We've come to find someone," Anakin told her "The mother of a little girl. She has been missing for over a week and I believe she has met with an unpleasant end."

"How can you be sure?" Vella asked. Anakin had not previously informed her of his theory.

"The Force," he answered simply "It offers me a vision, one that I hope isn't true. The vision entered my mind sometime early this morning as we approached Mos Eisley. I saw the woman, Fiana Jade, lying on the ground. It was night time and she was bleeding."

"Have you been able to find the location in your vision," Lya asked, rising from the table and dropping a handful of credits beside her unfinished meal.

"Not yet," Anakin said glumly "But perhaps, with the assistance of another Jedi…"

"I will be more than happy to assist you Master," Lya told him. She left the cantina with Anakin and Vella soon after.

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"Very good," Luke smiled. Mara had begged him to show her how to use her powers. While Luke had refused at first, saying that it was a job more suited to the experience of his father or perhaps Lya, he had finally given in.

He had begun, quite nervously, with a lengthy lecture about the Dark Side and how dangerous it was and why hate, anger, fear and aggression were not emotions that a Jedi could feel freely. He had told the story that his father had told him about his near fall to the Dark Side. He told of how his father had dreamed of losing his mother in childbirth and how later, upon their arrival on Tatooine, his father had been given the answer through the Force that the future he had seen was the future that would exist had he turned to the Dark Side.

Finally, Mara had declared that she understood and that he had talked enough about the Dark Side of the Force. So Luke had decided to show her a game. So the two of them sat, cross legged on the bed in Lya's room and took turns levitating a ball.

As Mara gained better control of the ball Luke began to use the Force to pull it away from her. At first she complained, decreed that he wasn't playing fair but he informed the more he tried to take it from her, the harder she had to try to get it back.

Soon the ball was whizzing around the room, bouncing off of invisible barriers and making impossible pivots and turns. The two children laughed gleefully as the ball danced above them.

Mara sent the ball in a loop across the room and back to her without Luke's interference. Luke smiled at her "You're getting good at this."

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"This is the place," Anakin declared, looking sadly upon the dismal alleyway. The alley was stained in so many places by blood. Anakin tentatively reached down and touched one such stain, searching for an echo of the Force to show him to whom it belonged.

Suddenly, it was night. He saw a frightened young Twi'lek girl, perhaps fifteen standard years, being chased by a gang of ruthless looking males of varying species. The poor thing tripped and they were upon her, beating her mercilessly.

Anakin withdrew his hand from the stain as if it had burned him and wiped at his eyes with his artificial arm. This alley had seen many sorrows. Anakin was hesitant to touch another spot of blood.

Lya stepped forward, laying a hand gently upon her master's shoulder "I'll do it, Master," she whispered. She stepped forward, taking a deep breath. She reached down to another large stain.

It was late afternoon and a Bothan was just closing up one of the shops at the mouth of the alley. A rather tall light skinned human dragged the other sentient into the alley and after a brief struggle he stabbed the Bothan. Lya watched in horror as the Bothan fell to his knees, gasping, trying to scream for help but no one heard, or cared.

She was back in the present now, with Anakin and Vella. She let her head drop as a few tears escaped. "It was, so horrible," she whispered, weakly.

Vella simply watched the two Jedi. Anakin and Lya both shivered "The Dark Side," Anakin whispered.

"I feel it Master," Lya whispered in return. This alley had a definite aura of darkness to it. That was why the deaths of non-Force-sensitive beings were so clear.

Anakin, feeling an icy coldness in his stomach, reached to touch another stain of blood. This one was halfway up one of the walls of a building that bordered the alley. It was early morning and a red haired woman was running at breakneck speed through the alley. An armored human following close behind. The armored human reached out and grabbed the woman. She fell and cracked her skull on the side of a building, she went limp. The armored man checked her pulse and apparently didn't find anything. "What a shame," he said in a voice that sounded very familiar to Anakin.

He snapped back into reality and stood up. The voice had been that of the clone troopers. But the man's armor had not been that of a clone. Anakin remembered Obi-Wan saying something about the bounty hunter that had provided the initial DNA for the clones. He would have to speak with Obi-Wan about it the next time he saw him.

Anakin looked at the ground for a moment "We'd better go," he said finally. Lya and Vella followed him out of the alley without question.

"Well?" Vella asked as they emerged "What did you see?"

"She's dead," Anakin replied. He did not relish the idea of going back to Mara with this news. He was reminded of when his own mother had died and what he had done. He had touched the Dark Side to take revenge, murdering men, women and children of the tribe responsible.

He walked sullenly back to the speeder. He did not wish to do this. He wanted to return to Mara with good news. He wanted to tell her that her mother was alive and well, but that was not the case.

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Raile got on the speeder bike and just road it, he just road, road attempting to distract his mind off anything and everything. But no matter how fast he could push the speeder, how far he road, he could not escape his thoughts or his raging emotions.

Hatred was not the path of the Jedi. Revenge was not the path of the Jedi. How could he not be angry? How could he not want revenge after what had happened to the Jedi at the hands of the clones and the Emperor?

Lya was right though. He couldn't feel this way. He shouldn't feel this way. All life was sacred, even the lives of merciless Imperials. The war within raged. He just wanted to be able to forgot, forget all the visions of pain he had had and all of the painful things he had seen that day at the Jedi Temple. He wished Anakin had never saved him. He wanted to forget. So that Lya would forgive him.

But he would never be able to forget. There was only one way that he could resolve his inner conflict. The Empire had to be defeated. He made up his mind and returned to the base. He got into his Z-95 and headed off. If all went well, he would reach Coruscant within three days at sublight speed.

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Palpatine smiled. His new apprentice was coming. He could feel the conflicting and hateful heart drawing nearer. He would soon have his enforcer and his control over the galaxy would be cemented.

He got on the comlink. He made a few not-so-empty threats about efficiency. He called a few of his senior officers into the throne room and watched them squirm. And just because he could, he signed for and attended a number of executions. It was all in all, a good day and the days would only get better with his new dark apprentice soon to arrive.

He was sure that his apprentice would be able to lead him to the rebels and he knew that his victory and total control over the galaxy would come. His wait was nearly over.


	11. Chapter 11: Troubling Realizations

**Breaking Destiny's Bonds**

**Chapter 11: Troubling Realizations**

**A/N: You will not be seeing Raile in this chapter though there will be talk of him. Please bare with me, I promise I'll make it worth your while. As always reviews are appreciated and encouraged.**

"No! No! No! No!" Mara sobbed as she flung her fists against the pillows in the bedroom that had become hers.

Anakin sat beside her, reaching out with the Force, trying to soothe her anguish but he could do little for the distressed child. Padmé stood beside the bed, watching the girl. Vella stood on the other side of the bed with a hand on Mara's back.

"I'm so sorry," Anakin said quietly as he stood up and left the room. Padmé quickly followed after him. She caught up with him outside.

"She's not you Ani," Padmé reminded him softly.

Anakin turned to her "I know that," he assured her "I was much older than she was when my mother died."

Padmé stepped towards him and wrapped her arms around him. He returned the embrace and held her tight against him, resting his head atop her head "She will accept it," Padmé said softly "She won't be alone."

Anakin continued to hold her close. "She's so young," he murmured. Remembering the grief his mother's death had caused him. At least he could withhold the details of who was responsible from Mara. Then he thought of something. The person responsible had been a bounty hunter. He released Padmé and pulled her back inside the house with him quickly.

"Vella," he called out, running into the room where Mara lay, still sobbing.

Vella looked up at Anakin with questioning eyes "What is it?" she sensed the urgency in his voice.

"Do you know anything of the Empire hiring bounty hunters to capture Force-sensitive beings?"

Vella nodded numbly "Yes, the Emperor has employed one in particular, a man known as Jango Fett. But there are so many worlds in the Outer Rim Territories, he's sure not to pose any danger to you. His targets are the families of Force-sensitive children that have escaped from the Core Worlds."

"I believe he was responsible for Fiana's death," Anakin stated. He dropped into a sitting position beside Mara "Where did you and your mother live before you came to Tatooine?" he asked.

Mara turned her wide green eyes in Anakin's direction "Coruscant," she answered, wiping her eyes with the sleeve of her tunic and trying to calm herself.

"Mara's a Force-sensitive," Luke, who had been silently standing in the hallway outside the room up until now, said.

Vella looked down at Mara and resisted the urge to gasp. Practically everyone in Mos Eisley had seen Mara with her the day before and the same people had seen Vella with Anakin and Lya today. Someone was sure to recognize them, which meant… Vella shot up immediately "Get your brother and his family," she said quickly to Anakin "It's too dangerous to remain here."

Anakin nodded and turned to Padmé "You and the children pack as fast as you can. I'll go talk to Owen."

"Luke," Padmé called as she left the room in a hurry "Get your sisters. Pack only what you can carry."

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"I know you don't want to leave the farm," Anakin was saying to Owen "But all of our lives have just been put in great danger. We have to leave as soon as we can."

Owen looked down at his young son. He turned his gaze upon his pregnant wife "Start packing," he said quietly. He turned back to Anakin "How are we going to get away?" he asked.

"I have a friend who has a ship," Anakin told him "Trust me."

Owen nodded. He did trust Anakin. After working side by side with his brother for fourteen years, he had learned to trust Anakin's instincts. He gave Anakin a quick hug before heading off to pack.

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Vella had borrowed a cloak from Padmé. It was, she hoped, a fair disguise. She approached the docking bay where the Rin Wolf awaited her. Fett nor anyone else for that matter had located her ship yet. She managed to lift off from Mos Eisley without interference and in about half an hour, had managed to set the ship down in front of the Skywalker/Lars property.

The families were waiting outside for her. She lowered the boarding ramp and first Athin, followed by Kiera, Luke, Mara, Leia, R2, 3PO and then the adults, including Lya who had decided that she would rather stay with her family than return to Dantooine just yet, piled in. The Wolf was able to provide comfortable seating for the ten human passengers and two droids.

Vella managed to get the ship off the ground again and left orbit soon after that. Anakin stared out one of the viewports at the planet as it faded into the distance. He turned to Padmé whose head was laying on his shoulder "Goodbye and good riddance," he sighed.

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"What's the occasion?" Obi-Wan enquired as Anakin descended the boarding ramp on Endor.

"Bounty hunter," Anakin replied dryly.

"It's never just to say hi, is it," Obi-Wan remarked with a half smirk before growing serious again "Are you sure you weren't tracked here?"

"Positive," Vella said, as she joined them "We performed a complete sweep for tracking devices before we entered light speed.

"Whoa!" the children exclaimed as they appeared at the top of the boarding ramp. None of them had ever been to any of Anakin and Lya's yearly visits to Dagobah and so none of them had ever seen anything but sand. All five of them came running down the ramp, eager to touch and see everything from the trees, to the grass, to the river that flowed near where Vella had set the ship down.

Anakin found himself smiling at their curiosity. He turned back to Obi-Wan "Our family formerly requests asylum from you Master," he bowed grandiosely.

"You're welcome here anytime Anakin," Obi-Wan smiled. Jisela appeared from the hut a good hundred meters away and ran to join the other children. Wicket came bounding after her.

Having been for the most part raised by humans, Wicket had developed the ability to speak in broken Basic. While Ahsoka could usually understand the Ewoks through their actions and with a little help from the Force, Wicket had grown to be something of an interpreter. Much as Jisela from growing up around the Ewoks had become able to understand them too.

"Luke, Leia," Jisela called happily as she ran to meet up with her "cousins".

"Jisela!" Leia squealed happily, embracing the other girl. Many laughs and a few introductions later, the group of children was playing happily near the river's edge.

Ahsoka joined the adults near the base of the Rin Wolf's boarding ramp "It is good to see you," she bowed her head to Anakin and Padmé then looked up again, she gazed at Padmé "Pregnant again?" she asked with a smirk.

"Yep," Padmé replied with a full on grin.

Owen and Beru introduced themselves to Ahsoka and the Jedi soon realized that Padmé wasn't the only pregnant one in the group. Ahsoka bowed her head to the newcomers "Our hut is not very large but perhaps the Ewoks could find lodgings for you all in the village."

"I can put some of you up in the ship for the night," Vella offered.

By the river's edge Mara and Luke were levitating small stones and trying to arrange them into patterns on the ground. Kiera, Jisela and Wicket had gone wading in the river. Athin was considering joining them but he was distracted by the many colorful little fish that swam in the water. Leia was simply too overwhelmed by the beauty of the surroundings to do much else than look at and listen to the environment. She found herself staring at several colorful flowers. She leaned forward and discovered that she could enjoy this beauty with yet another sense.

"This place is nothing like Tatooine," Luke said as he used the Force to skip a stone across the river.

"That's a good thing," Mara smiled as she skipped a stone across the river without the aid of the Force. It was a skill her father had shone her when she was very small at a park on Coruscant.

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Later that day, when Ahsoka had taken Wicket with her to ask the Ewoks if they could provide temporary lodgings for their guests, Luke and Mara sat at the river bank. Mara had long given up levitating small objects for amusement and instead had descended into silence. Luke decided that he would keep her company; he could sense her grief and sadness through the Force and he felt compelled to stay near her.

It was a long time before Mara said anything to him. She turned to Luke "I've got nobody," she whispered.

"That's not true," Luke protested "Dad and Mom and Vella all care about you."

"Yeah," Mara said quietly "But their not my real parents."

Luke grabbed her hand "I wanna show you something," he told her "When my Dad first told me about how he almost turned to the Dark Side, I wondered what my life would have been like if that had happened. One day, during a meditation, the Force showed me." Luke closed his eyes and recalled the images, sharing them with Mara.

Mara's mouth dropped open. She saw a baby, being delivered to Owen and Beru Lars in the waning light of Tatooine's suns. She saw a young boy, growing up without mother or father and though he grew up on Tatooine, he was not an unhappy child. She could sense the boy's emotions. He wondered about his parents perhaps but he loved his Aunt and Uncle just the same.

Mara opened her eyes "But you would never have known what you had lost," she said softly.

"That's true," Luke admitted "But my life didn't end. Without my parents, I still lived and though I would have only had my Aunt and Uncle there was no deep sadness."

"Look," Mara said, standing up "I get it that you're trying to help but the truth is that you have no clue how I'm feeling," she stormed off.

"Where are you off to in such a hurry?" Vella asked as Mara bolted past her.

"I don't know and I don't care," Mara said bitterly.

Vella grabbed Mara by her shoulders and turned her so that they were facing one another "I thought Jedi didn't get angry?" she said with a raised eyebrow.

"I'm not a Jedi," Mara countered bitterly, pulling away from Vella. She continued running and disappeared into the forest.

An hour later Anakin found her sitting in a tree. He came and leaned against the tree trunk, giving no outward sign that he knew she was there. After a while, he spoke "Have you found your piece of mind up their Miss Mara?"

Mara shrugged "No," she replied, not really caring whether he knew where she was or not.

Anakin turned around to face her "Mind if I come up?" he asked.

"I don't care," Mara answered.

Anakin climbed the tree with no trouble and perched himself on a branch facing Mara "You know that everyone's been looking for you ever since you ran off?"

"I wanna be left alone," Mara countered.

"I can understand that," Anakin told her.

"No you can't," Mara said, not bothering to look up at him.

"When I was a little boy," Anakin began "I lived with my Mother on Tatooine, we were slaves."

Mara looked up "How did you escape?" she asked.

"We didn't," Anakin replied "I was raised as a slave until I was nine," he watched Mara to make sure she was listening, she was "One day a ship from Naboo landed on Tatooine in need of repairs…" he went on to tell the whole story of how he had won his freedom and left to join the Jedi. He told of how the handmaiden Padmé had really been the queen of Naboo in disguise.

Mara hung on every word. She had never heard such an interesting story in all her life.

"But my Mother had to stay behind on Tatooine and I missed her terribly," Anakin told her.

"Couldn't you have gone back to visit her?" Mara asked. After all, things had been so much easier in the days of the Republic. She didn't think anyone had suffered such sadness in their lives in those years.

"My Master ordered me not to," Anakin explained. "I had other things to focus on, like becoming the kind of Jedi that would make my Mother proud."

"Did you ever see her again?" Mara asked, desperately wanting to know the answer.

Anakin hung his head as the memories washed over him. He proceeded to tell the story of how while protecting Padmé, they had gone back to Tatooine, only to find that his Mother had married a moisture farmer and that she had been kidnapped by Sand People.

Anakin stopped talking then for a long time. He didn't feel like continuing though he owed it to Mara to finish the story.

"Did you save her?" Mara asked, her eyes full of childlike optimism and hope.

Anakin looked up at her "She was near death when I found the camp where they had her. She died in my arms."

He closed his eyes for a moment, when he opened them, there was a small hand reaching to grab his "I'm sorry," Mara whispered.

"Thank you Mara," Anakin returned, taking her hand and squeezing it.

"There's more, isn't there?" Mara asked, looking up into Anakin's face.

Anakin's shoulders slumped and his head dropped. This girl was very perceptive. He took a deep breath "Yes," he confirmed "I felt so angry, so angry at the Sand People for taking my Mother from me. I lost all control. I struck every one of them down. Men, women and children all fell by my hand Mara."

Mara withdrew her hand from his and stared at him wide eyed, she inched away from him on the branch "How could their children have caused your Mother's death?" she asked a bit fearfully.

"They probably didn't," Anakin answered shamefully "I was possessed."

"By the Dark Side?" Mara asked, still inching her way down the branch. She kept her eyes on Anakin intently. She suddenly didn't know what to think of the kind man who had just admitted to her that he was a murderer.

"I was blinded by overwhelming rage and I touched the Dark Side," Anakin said sadly "I have nothing but regret for my actions that day."

Mara had inched so far down the branch that it snapped under her weight. She was high enough off the ground that if she fell, she would be seriously injured. Anakin was quick though. Mara had started to scream when she realized that she wasn't falling, rather, she was being lowered gently to the ground.

Anakin leapt from the tree and landed nimbly beside her "Are you all right?" he asked.

"Yeah," she answered, looking up at him "Thanks."

"You're very welcome." Anakin held out a hand to her "Shall we head back? Ahsoka said she was going to make something special for dinner."

Mara nervously took the hand he offered to her, Anakin's still flesh and blood hand, and walked with him back to the others. "Why did you tell me that story?" Mara asked.

"I wanted you to know that you aren't alone," Anakin told her "I wanted you to know that I understand how hurt and sad and angry you are. I wanted to use myself as an example of why acting out of anger and the desire for vengeance is never a good idea."

Mara nodded "The Dark Side seems to make people do frightening things," she said quietly.

"It does," Anakin responded "Evil, manipulating things," he added as the hut came into view.

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"Wicket love Momma," Wicket said later that evening as he gave Ahsoka a hug and kiss.

"I love you Wicket," Ahsoka said in return, kissing the top of his head "Time for bed."

"Okay Momma," Wicket said, climbing under the covers on his bed and reaching out to Obi-Wan "Nigh-Nigh Dada."

Obi-Wan bent and kissed Wicket's furry head "Good night Wicket, sweet dreams."

"Nigh Jissy," Wicket called across the room to his sister.

"Good night little brother," Jisela called back with a small smile.

Ahsoka and Obi-Wan left the room and walked outside their hut. Ahsoka turned to Obi-Wan in the relative darkness "How long do you think we'll be safe here?" she asked.

Obi-Wan stroked his beard absentmindedly. He had been pondering that same question ever since he had received word from Anakin that the Rin Wolf would be landing. "We've gone fourteen years without being found. Vella and Anakin were correct, they weren't tracked here. We should still be safe here for years to come."

"Years," Ahsoka repeated "Then what? Obi-Wan what will become of our daughter when she realizes that we've been sheltering her on this moon?"

"She'll join the rebellion I suppose, like Jenica and Quix before her," Obi-Wan surmised. He took her hand and held it tight, he pulled her into an embrace "She's strong. When the time comes, she'll be ready."

"I know," she sighed against his shoulder "Things are just changing so fast," she pulled away and looked up at Obi-Wan "Are you sure we should remain here? How long will it be before a bounty hunter shows up on our doorstep and hauls us before the Emperor to be tortured and executed?"

"Fear is the path to the Dark Side," Obi-Wan teased as they began to walk a well worn path.

"Please don't do that?" Ahsoka begged him "Do not act as if my fear of being discovered by the Empire is unfounded? Please do not pretend that you aren't just as fearful for our family?"

Obi-Wan turned to her and placed a hand under her chin, raising her gaze so it met his. He kissed her "You are right," he conceded "But I must try to hide my fear. I hide it from you and from our children. I've never wanted to admit to you that I too fear what might happen tomorrow or the day after that."

"Oh, my strong one," Ahsoka leaned into him "You shouldn't have to carry the fear inside. Tell me how you feel?"

Obi-Wan knelt before her, just as they had reached the entrance to the Jedi Shrine "How I feel," he smiled as he held both of Ahsoka's hands "I feel that you are the most important person in my life and that so many years of training our Padawans and raising our children, it is only proper that we make official what we have known for so long. I wish to ask you to marry me."

Ahsoka looked down at Obi-Wan and smiled. They had talked of marriage before but the timing had never seemed right. Ahsoka bent and kissed him "Yes of course Obi-Wan."

Obi-Wan rose and smiled "I was really hoping you would say that," he said as he nudged the door of the Jedi Shrine open. Inside, stood Anakin, Padmé, C-3PO, R2 and the Ewok high priest.

It was a small and simple ceremony, 3PO translated for them and Anakin and Padmé were witnesses to the union. All those times that they had talked of marriage, they had both expressed their desire for a simply union, no big fuss as was made for Jisela's birth. Obi-Wan had wanted Anakin to be there of course.

Ahsoka smiled broadly as 3PO translated the high priest's final words "You may now kiss the bride."

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"This place is much nicer than Tatooine," Lya said as she walked beside Anakin through a clearing, the long grass brushing past her legs.

"I can't say I disagree with you," Anakin remarked. He had talked Lya into going off with him to gather fruit for Ahsoka so that they could talk. But an hour into their little hunt, he had not yet asked her what was bothering her.

A little while later Lya stopped and turned to her former Master "You wish to ask me why I returned from Dantooine without warning," she stated.

Anakin rubbed a hand over his face. At least that got the awkward conversation starting part out of the way. "Yes," he confirmed "Are you well?"

"Physically yes," Lya replied as she continued walking, looking for Blumfruit vines.

"And otherwise?" Anakin enquired, bending down and picking up an Endorian mouse before he accidentally stepped on it. He set the mouse safely down on a nearby rock.

"Otherwise," Lya repeated "I'm in deep thought over something."

"Is it something or someone who has driven you to deep thoughts my former Padawan?" Anakin questioned her.

Lya's eyes widened briefly "How…?"

"Someone occupies my thoughts quite frequently," Anakin smiled softly "I know the look."

"Oh," Lya said before continuing "It is someone Master someone I care a great deal for, someone for whom I am worried a great deal about these days."

"Raile," Anakin concluded "Has he been injured," strangely enough, Anakin was hoping for this outcome over the other that he suspected.

"No, Master," Lya said, confirming Anakin's suspicions "I fear that this war has hardened him."

"Many of us who have seen battles become desensitized to the violence we have experienced," Anakin told her "It is difficult to keep ones self from becoming hardened in these troubled times."

"He seeks revenge for what was done to the Jedi when we were young Master." Lya admitted "To him all who ally themselves with the Empire are guilty. Each day, he slips further and further away."

Anakin's gaze fell "I was afraid of this," he murmured. "Have you noticed any other changes Lya?" he asked.

"We were arguing," Lya began "His indifference to the lives that we had taken during our last mission angered me, I slapped him. His eyes, they changed color and he grabbed me. His grip was so tight that it was painful."

Anakin pondered this disturbing development for a long moment before he spoke again "You were right to return," he told her "I will go to Dantooine and speak with Raile myself."

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"It is good to see you again Anakin," the hologram of Bail Organa said. Vella had let Anakin use the holo communicator on her ship to get in touch with Organa so that him know of his plans to return to Dantooine.

"Likewise Senator," Anakin replied with a bow of his head "I am planning to return to base."

"But you aren't needed here right now," Organa told him "I was sure you would want to be with your family. Didn't you say that Padmé was getting close to the end of her pregnancy?"

"There is still over a month to go," Anakin informed him.

"You should stay with her Anakin. I will not be responsible for you missing another birth in your family," Organa insisted.

"My visit should not take long," Anakin affirmed "I only wish to speak with one of the Jedi currently living on base, Raile Eros."

Organa's face grew serious "You'd best stay where you are then Anakin. I regret to have to be the one to tell you but Raile departed the base sometime yesterday in a starfighter and no one has heard from him since."

"Where was he headed?" Anakin enquired.

"He didn't tell anyone and he did not file a flight plan," Organa informed him.

"Thank you Senator," Anakin sighed "I'll be in touch."

"My best to Padmé and to the rest of the family," Organa waved a hand before the hologram flashed out of existence.

Anakin left the ship and returned to the hut in the village that he, Padmé and their children were occupying. The place was empty, Padmé and Beru were spending sometime with Ahsoka, listening to her reassuring words about how well the Ewok midwives had delivered her child. Owen and Athin had gone fishing in the river and the other children had gone berry picking, lead by Lya through the same terrain that he had traversed with her earlier.

Anakin sat on the floor, in front of the bed that he and Padmé were sharing. He closed his eyes and began to meditate on the future.


	12. Chapter 12: Dark Forces At Work

**Breaking Destiny's Bonds**

**Chapter 12: Dark Forces At Work**

**A/N: Happy New Year to all of you wonderful readers and reviewers. I know it's taken me forever to update this chapter but hopefully it will be worth the wait.**

Swirling darkness, that's what he saw at first. It was terrifying, even for a Jedi who had learned, for the most part, to control his fears. The darkness chilled him to the very core. Then he saw it, that face, that inhuman face, the Emperor's face. Twisted, evil features and menacing yellow eyes stared at him through the darkness.

But it wasn't Anakin that Palpatine was staring at. The Emperor looked down upon a line of prisoners, amongst them stood Luke, Leia, and Mara. Lya stood there as well, clutching two young children to her chest. There was a man standing with them who Anakin did not recognize as well as an angry looking Wookiee.

"Skywalker's children, Master," a voice said and then from beside Palpatine another twisted visage appeared. The vision exploded into swirling darkness once more. He could hear the shouts of Luke and Leia as well as others. He could not tell what they were saying, his vision was already ending. Their fate remained unknown to him.

Anakin awoke to find Padmé standing in the doorway, staring at him. She came and sat on the bed, looking down at where her husband sat "What did you see?" she asked all too well knowing from the look on his face.

The children had been older in his vision, the events were farther off than visions he had had in years past. The place had not been known to him. Perhaps it was only a possible future as had been his last vision. The future was vague, hard to be certain about, always in motion, changing with every second of the present.

"I'm not sure," he said softly, climbing off the floor and sitting beside her on the bed. He moved his hand to cover hers where it lay on the bedcovers "It was a vision of the future, a distant future Padmé."

"How distant?" she enquired. She turned her hand over beneath his and interlaced their fingers "Please Ani, let me in, let me help you?"

"Years in the future," Anakin replied, pulling her close to him "You shouldn't worry about it Angel," he said, reaching up and stroking her hair.

"Don't do this," she murmured, laying her head upon his shoulders "Don't try to shut me out," she knew him all too well "Don't attempt to protect me from the future you think you see."

"I saw Palpatine," he admitted. He felt her tense beside him but she relaxed a moment later, hoping he hadn't noticed but he had and fell silent.

"Go on," she said softly "Please."

Anakin took in a deep breath "It was years in the future, farther than I have ever seen before. Many things can change between now and then Padmé,"

"Alright Ani," Padmé could sense his unease and decided not to press him on the issue. She nuzzled closer to him "You would tell me if our children were in danger," she declared as they curled up together.

Anakin, somewhat guiltily, kept his mouth shut. It was only a possible future. There were many things that could occur after all. What he had seen was not a future carved in stone.

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"This place is so much more alive than Tatooine was," Beru mused as she strolled beside Owen along the edge of the river "So much more peaceful too," she stroked her stomach. Athin ran in front of them, stopping at every new sight and sound and laughing with glee.

Owen nodded, his arm wrapped securely around his wife's waist. He smiled at her "I never thought that there could be a place where I would feel so right with the galaxy," he admitted. Tatooine had been Owen's home for his entire life. For him, life consisted of work, heat and sand. It was an existence but only now was Owen learning that it wasn't the only way that one could exist.

"For you Mom," Athin said, running up to his mother and placing a small bundle of beautifully colored flowers in her hand.

Beru smiled down at her son as she lifted the flowers to her nose. Their smell was dazzling. Beru had never smelled such heavenly flowers before. She had spent her entire life on Tatooine, the only flowers she had ever seen, aside from the funnel flowers that scattered the arid landscape, had been dried flowers.

"Thank you Athin," she said, ruffling her son's hair.

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"What is that?" Luke asked as he, Mara and Wicket, who had gone off alone, leaving Lya, Leia, Jisela and Kiera to continue berry picking, stared at an animal that neither Luke nor Mara had ever seen before.

"That rabbit," Wicket said, stepping forward "Rabbit friendly, soft," Wicket cooed to the small animal and it came closer. The Ewok scooped it up and allowed Luke and Mara to take a closer look.

"It's so soft," Mara remarked, petting the tiny creature.

When the animal had been thoroughly petted, Wicket set it down on the ground "Rabbit go home now," he said, waving goodbye to the critter.

The group kept walking for a few more minutes. Suddenly another Ewok youth sprang out at them from behind a tree, weapon waving. The youth, probably from another village, looked angrily at Luke and Mara.

"Kvark," Wicket muttered under his breath as he stepped in front of the two humans. He held out his arms "Na goo Jeerota," he told the youth "Jeerota."

The youth paused and examined the two humans closely "Cha?" he asked.

"Chak," Wicket replied "Jeerota."

The youth shook his head but after a few moments, he lowered his weapon and nodded "Loktok," he told them.

"What just happened?" Mara asked Wicket.

"I tell him you are friends," Wicket explained "He say welcome."

"How do we tell him thank you?" Luke asked Wicket.

"Teeha," Wicket told him.

"Teeha," Luke and Mara said to the youth.

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"Leaving already?" Padmé asked as Vella did a last minute check of her ship.

"The Alliance needs me," Vella replied "I've got information to collect and informants to contact. I'll be seeing you lot again though."

"Aren't you going to wait to say goodbye to the children?" Padmé enquired.

"I can't," Vella looked down at the ground for a moment. She really had to get back to work, besides, she was dreading having to say goodbye to Mara. She had made that little girl a hundred promises, none of which she could follow through on. If the galaxy were a different place she would have no second thoughts about taking the girl with her. But Mara was where she belonged, with people who could help her with her abilities. Things were better this way.

"I hope we see you again soon," Padmé waved a hand as Vella walked up the boarding ramp.

At the top of the ramp Vella turned and smiled "I hope so too, good luck Padmé and say goodbye the children and your husband for me."

"I will," Padmé watched as Vella disappeared into the dark interior of her ship and the ramp began to rise.

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"Wow," Mara exclaimed at the small flickering creatures that surrounded them.

"Wisties," Wicket explained "Friendly." Wicket reached out and one landed in his hand.

"Does it hurt?" Luke asked in wonder at the sight before him.

"Wisties not hurt," Wicket laughed "Wisties friends."

Luke didn't sense any danger from the little creatures. He slowly extended his hand. One of the little creatures landed in his palm almost instantly. Luke began laughing "Try it Mara," he smiled "It tickles."

Soon, all three children were laughing as the Wisties swirled around them. They lost track of time and were surprised when Lya appeared, looking none to pleased.

"It's getting late you three," she reprimanded "Obi-Wan's got dinner ready by now and it'll be getting cold."

Jisela ran over to her adopted younger brother and the two of them shared a few quiet words in Ewokese before bursting into fits of giggles.

"What's so funny?" Luke, Leia, Mara and Kiera all asked at once.

Jisela and Wicket both looked like they couldn't contain themselves. Jisela was the one who broke first "There's only one reason Daddy would be cooking," she giggled.

"Momma mad at him," Wicket giggled. It happened every once in a while. Ahsoka was the better cook of the two of them. But there was the rare occasion that Ahsoka and Obi-Wan would get into a tiff about one silly thing or another and those were the nights that Obi-Wan would cook.

Jisela and Wicket were not bothered by their parents fighting, it never lasted long and the object of the argument was always so trivial that it was worth a few laughs.

The group walked back through the forest to the hut where their families were planning to share the evening meal. They reached the hut only to find that Ahsoka wasn't even there at all, neither was Beru, Owen, Padmé or Anakin.

"Where are our Mom and Dad?" Luke asked, looking around. He spotted Athin "And where are your Mom and Dad?"

"Dad…?" Jisela questioned, nervously "You and Mom didn't have a real fight did you?"

Obi-Wan reached down and reassuringly ruffled his daughter's hair "No sweetheart," he said comfortingly as he picked Wicket up and cradled him in his other arm.

"What's wrong?" Luke asked, he and the others had noticed the look on Athin's face and he had also sensed the worry through the Force.

"Mom's having the baby," Athin whispered.

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"You're doing great," Ahsoka encouraged as Beru breathed heavily.

Owen sat dutifully at his wife's side, wiping the sweat from her forehead and holding tight to her hand. He placed a kiss to her cheek "I'm right here," he reassured.

Anakin and Padmé moved about, helping Ahsoka and the Ewok midwives as best they could. C-3PO served as a translator.

"Master Anakin," 3PO piped up "The midwife in charge seems be of the opinion that this will be a good birth."

"What does that mean?" Beru asked as she bore the pain of yet another contraction.

3PO exchanged a few words with the Ewok who appeared to be in charge of the whole operation before replying "She says that everything is fine and that the baby is strong." Beru sighed and a small smile appeared on her face as the contraction passed and she relaxed.

One of the Ewoks approached Beru holding a cup filled with a strangely colored but sweet smelling liquid and held it out to her. "What is that?" she asked, forgetting that the Ewok didn't understand her.

"She says that it is a medicine," 3PO dutifully translated "She says that it is meant to ease the pain of labor."

Beru took the cup from the Ewok and slowly drank the liquid within it. The effect was almost instantaneous. Her body was fully aware of what was going on and the part it was to play in this process but it was as if the pain had disappeared almost completely. Within an hour, Shalla Lars lay in her mothers arms.

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It was late when Anakin and Padmé came to retrieve their children at the hut. Ahsoka had stayed with Beru and Owen to take care of the mother and baby for the first night. Husband and wife stopped at the edge of the clearing where the hut stood.

"Shalla is a beautiful baby," Padmé remarked with a soft smile.

Anakin leaned in and kissed her in the glow cast by Endor's host planet "It won't be long before we have two more beautiful babies of our own," he reminded her.

They broke apart when young Athin nearly bowled them over "Are my Mother and the baby alright?" he asked.

Anakin bent down to his nephew's level "They are just fine," he assured the boy.

"Your Mother needs her rest, so we're going to take care of you tonight, okay," Padmé said, not kneeling down for fear of falling off balance what with her twin sized belly.

Athin nodded "Can I see her in the morning?" he asked.

"Sure," Anakin ruffled his nephew's hair "Now, let's get you to bed. Have you been waiting up all night for us to return?"

The boy nodded sleepily "Kiera stayed up too," he muttered, telling on his cousin without a second thought. Anakin and Padmé laughed as Anakin carried the small boy down the path.

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An angry and revenge seeking Raile Eros somehow managed to slip past Coruscant Security and land his fighter. He headed straight for the Imperial palace. He deflected any and all blaster bolts that came his way handily with his lightsaber and swiftly beheaded all those who stood between him and the Emperor.

He found himself killing Imperials indiscriminately and not caring. This did not surprise him and barely registered in his mind. They were Imperials after all, followers of the Emperor, the reason he was filled with such a deep desire for revenge in the first place. Why should their lives matter at all to him?

He managed to slice into a computer terminal and determined where the Emperor was without any problem. He headed for the throne room. The lack of opposition that he faced once he entered the palace did not surprise him. It did not surprise him because he paid it no mind whatsoever. To him it only meant that he could reach and destroy the Emperor all that more quickly.

He found the throne room doors opened, as if the Emperor had been expecting him. This too did not occur to him at the time. He entered and stood at the foot of the stairs leading to the dais. He could sense the dark presence. It filled the room. He bounded up the stairs to the throne, the chair turned around and he was face to face with that which he hated most.

"I have been expecting you," the smoothly dark voice crooned as the dark figure straightened and stood up.

**A/N: If you like this story you may be interested in my new Star Wars story. It is entitled "The Pazla Crisis 1: The Hidden Planet". I would really like to hear what you have to say about it. Thank you and remember I live for your reviews. Show me some love?**


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